Completed Projects
Learn about the projects we’ve completed up to now.
In some cases, AHED has established on-going relationships with institutions in these countries, and so may have a series of on-going projects in different departments of the institution.
Benin | Chile | Indonesia | Liberia | Nepal | Nigeria
Abomey-Calavi University » Cotonou, Benin
Abomey-Calavi University is the largest campus of the National University of Benin. The School of Nutrition, in partnership with the University of Montreal, has launched a three-year program to produce licensed nutritionists. Thomas Mercier and Amélie Roy-Fleming, both clinical nutritionists from Quebec, were in Benin for this past spring. The focus of their work was to prepare the materials needed by the students and the doctors supervising them during the in-service training component of their program. These are intended to address a current issue in contemporary Africa, the “double burden” of malnutrition caused by scarcity as well as health problems such as hypertension, diabetes and obesity which are related to recent changes in lifestyles.
University of Bio Bio » Chile
The University of Bio Bio, a public university with 9,235 students on its two campuses—one in Chillan and one in Concepción—has initiated a project to provide services for students with disabilities. Presently, there are 12 students studying at the University of Bio-Bio, all of whom have a physical or sensory disability. However, the buildings are not wheelchair accessible nor are they accessible for students with visual impairments. Admission into the university is based on entrance exams that are not adapted in any way. As a result, many students with disabilities (physical, sensory and learning disabilities) are excluded from higher education. Following the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in July 2008, Chile promulgated the National Disability Law which came into effect in January 2010. AHED volunteer Tara Flanagan, a professor at McGill University in Montreal, worked with the university to help them implement this law.
State Islamic University » Indonesia
The State Islamic University in Yogyakarta has established a Centre for Disabilities Studies and Services. It is the first university in Indonesia to provide services for students with disabilities. The Centre’s goals include developing awareness of inclusive education both within and outside the university and implementing changes in the university to accommodate students with disabilities. AHED volunteer, Marion Steff, spent a year at the university (August 2009- July 2010) to assist the university in developing capacity in this area through activities such as workshops, fundraising, lectures and research.
University of Liberia » Monrovia, Liberia
Since the end of Liberia’s civil war in 2003 Liberia has entered a redevelopment phase with the assistance of many governments, multilateral organizations and NGOs. AHED established a partnership with the University of Liberia (UL) to assist in its recovery in 2009. The university, the oldest degree-granting institution in West Africa, suffered greatly during the wars when its infrastructure was destroyed and most of its staff either killed or forced to leave Liberia. Re-building this institution is seen as one of the keys in assisting Liberia to develop. To date AHED has sent nine volunteers to Monrovia, most recently Arch Ritter, and they have completed five projects.
Patan Academy of Health Sciences » Patan, Nepal
The Patan Academy of Health Sciences (PAHS), a public university located in the southwestern part of the Kathmandu valley, was created to improve health in rural areas and to provide more health professionals to serve them. It was approved by the Nepalese parliament in 2008. There are many strategies incorporated into the design to improve health and health services in urban and rural areas. PAHS is linked with the neighboring Patan Hospital where students learn clinical skills and PAHS faculty provide role models within the hospital. Students in the program are also linked with a rural village where, for the six year duration of their program, they will develop, implement, and eventually assess a community health project. Carol-Ann Courneya, one of the three AHED volunteers, has been involved in the development of PAHS since its inception in 2003. Courneya along with two other AHED volunteers, Jason Waechter and Jane Gair, will deliver two courses in basic medical science this year to 60 students who began the program in 2010, the first group attending PAHS.
Kwara State University » Nigeria
Kwara State University, a new university in southwest Nigeria, opened its doors to students in the 2009/2010 academic year. The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Rasheed Na’Allah, said that when they began their plans to establish the university five years ago “there were exactly 94 universities in Nigeria already. If you are going to establish the same thing, forget it. So, we are poised to make a difference.” One of the differences was to look at “internationalization right from the beginning” in order to develop global citizens.