Jul 22 2014
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) is expanding its support to the training schemes of two of the UK’s leading aid agencies: Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and Save the Children. LSTM’s expertise will enhance and recognise the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) of both agencies leading to further professionalisation of their frontline staff and improved staff retention rates.
“We are very pleased to work with both organisations”, says LSTM’s Director of Education Dr Sue Assinder.
Our academic rigour and quality assurance will help deeply motivated field staff to further their professional careers within their organisations, which will ultimately benefit the people they work for across the world.
Under the new partnership with MSF, LSTM will facilitate entry by MSF staff onto its MSc Humanitarian Health Programme Management by recognising courses in MSF’s internal operational training scheme as equivalent to MSc modules. Field experience of MSF frontline staff can also be evidenced allowing credit allocation to be used to secure an exemption route within the Masters. The Humanitarian Health Programme Management programme aims to strengthen links between academic institutions and operational humanitarian organisations. The skills, knowledge and understanding of humanitarian issues gained during the programme equip graduates to manage humanitarian health programmes for NGOs, ministries and international organisations at a senior level.
“We are committed to investing in our senior staff to equip them for the complexity of today – and tomorrow’s - humanitarian programmes”, says Vickie Hawkins, director of MSF UK. “This course will complement our own internal training options and is the continuation of a longstanding cooperation between us and LSTM that will benefit all involved.”
In a three year partnership with Save the Children, LSTM will conduct a rigorous quality assurance of the organisation’s Humanitarian Health and Nutrition training leading to a recognised LSTM professional diploma at the end of the 6 month on-the-job course.
“This partnership with such a leading institution in the sector ensures that our training programmes are associated with rigour and quality”, says Jeremy Stoner, Director of the Humanitarian Leadership Academy, currently hosted by Save the Children.
We are deeply committed towards the professionalisation of the humanitarian sector, and it is partnerships like this that help to create CPD pathways for frontline staff, increase retention and technical knowhow – and as a consequence, improving the quality of humanitarian responses and the lives of children in the countries where we operate.
Many alumni of LSTM hold prominent positions in health ministries, universities, hospitals and international organisations throughout the world. Graduates are competitively placed to begin PhD programmes, seek employment as research assistants, work in developing countries with a wide variety of employers, or return to previous employers with enhanced knowledge and skills with which to advance their existing careers.
Study links asthma to memory deficits in children