A high-level delegation from the University of Queensland (UQ), Australia, visited the Amrita Health Sciences Campus, Kochi, to explore opportunities for academic, research, and institutional collaboration in the fields of public health, community medicine, and public health dentistry.
The delegation comprised Prof. Sheleigh Lawler, Head of the School of Public Health; Prof. Simon Reid, Professor and Director of Global Engagement, School of Public Health; Dr. Preetha Thomas, Director of Teaching and Learning, School of Public Health; and Associate Professor Devi Mohan, Public Health Lead for the MD Programme at the School of Public Health.
During the visit, the UQ team presented an overview of the University of Queensland, the Australian healthcare system, ongoing public health initiatives, and key research areas. They also interacted with MD Community Medicine residents and Master of Public Health (MPH) scholars, sharing insights into public health education, research opportunities, and global health challenges.
Discussions between the two institutions focused on developing collaborative initiatives, including student and faculty exchange programmes, joint research projects, academic seminars, conferences, and other educational partnerships.
Faculty members from Amrita presented the university’s academic strengths and research initiatives, with a special focus on its One Health research activities and interdisciplinary approach to addressing public health challenges.
The discussions were attended by Dr. K. R. Thankappan, Head of the Department of Public Health; Dr. Aswathy S., Head of the Department of Community Medicine; Dr. V. Sivakumar, Professor, Health Sciences Research; Dr. Sobha George, Additional Professor, Community Medicine; Dr. Teena Mary Joy, Associate Professor, Community Medicine; Vishnu B. Menon, Assistant Professor, Community Medicine; Dr. Sreelakshmi Mohandas, Associate Professor, Community Medicine; Renjith S. Bhadran, Assistant Professor, Public Health; Dr. Malathi M., Assistant Professor, Public Health; Dr. Sunu C. Thomas, Assistant Professor, Public Health; Dr. Paul T. Francis, Associate Professor, Community Medicine; and Dr. R. Venkitachalam, Reader, Public Health Dentistry. Representatives from the International Office Sangeetha Sujith and Shamili Nair, also participated in the discussions.
The visit concluded with both institutions expressing keen interest in advancing collaborative research and academic engagement, paving the way for future partnerships in public health education and global health research.
