Wednesday 28 July 201
C145/10
Curtin University’s Health Sciences Faculty and the Kenyan Medical Training College (KMTC) have announced a new international partnership that will help to build environmental health practice capacity in East Africa.
The two institutions have agreed on a new collaboration that will see KMTC Environmental Health Sciences’ higher diploma graduates completing the final year of a Bachelor of Science in Health Safety and Environment degree in an online environment.
Head of Curtin’s School of Public Health, Professor Sue Fyfe, said the collaboration with KMTC had commenced in 2000 and was recently revitalised in 2008.
“We have developed a different learning experience where KMTC higher diploma students will attend classes at their own campus in Kenya, join classes in an online environment at Curtin, and then receive teaching support locally from KMTC staff,” Professor Fyfe said.
“The program will build on the practical and theoretical skills which graduates gained from their KMTC studies.
“The final online year offered by Curtin will build skills and knowledge in epidemiology, research methods, risk assessment, toxicology, occupational hygiene and systems to ensure food safety.”
Dr Charles Olang’o Onudi, Director of KMTC, said the partnership with Curtin will offer much benefit for the College.
“We hold Curtin’s Health Sciences Faculty in very high esteem and our alliance with Curtin will allow us to harness their teaching innovation to benefit communities not only in Kenya but also in East Africa,” Dr Olang’o Onudi said,
“Several of our academic staff studied at Curtin and we know that both institutions share the same core values. The University has an outstanding reputation in health sciences and we are fortunate to be able to offer this expertise to our students.
“The online segment of the Bachelor of Science in Health Safety and Environment provides our students with the opportunity to study courses in an environment that might not otherwise be available to them, helping to enrich their learning experience.”
KMTC students will start their online studies with Curtin in early 2011 and will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Health Safety and Environment from Curtin University.
Curtin’s School of Public Health also offers a similar program in Singapore where students can complete the Master of Occupational Health and Safety in an online environment with local teaching support.
Contact: Ann Marie Lim; Public Relations; Curtin; 08 9266 4241; 0401 103 532; ann.lim@curtin.edu.au
Notes to Editors:
About Curtin University’s Faculty of Health Sciences:
- The Faculty of Health Sciences comprises seven schools and 22 research centres with over 8500 students and 600 academic and professional staff from over 50 countries.
- The Faculty of Health Sciences is a leader in interprofessional education boasting a common core first year curriculum for all students across the 18 undergraduate courses.
- Health Science courses at Curtin have strong industry links producing graduates that are highly regarded and job ready.
- Many of the Faculty’s undergraduate programs are the only ones of their kind in Western Australia.
- Nationally accredited and internationally recognised courses.
For more information visit http://healthsciences.curtin.edu.au/
