To reduce disparities in health, we desperately need professionals who know how to make a difference. What are the different layers in this complex issue and how do you train students to improve health equity in their future professions? The Erasmus+ project HEQED (Health Equity through Education for a Sustainable Society) is helping to put the issue on the map and highlight it from multiple angles.
Fair Health is one of the 3 key areas that HAN UAS focuses on in their teaching an research. Together with all partners, HAN UAS’ lecturers for Physiotherapy and Health and Technology for Health develop a sustainable space for collaboration between higher education institutions, NGOs, health care institutions and individuals with the goal to improve traditional education and life-long learning on equity in health, the Health Equity in Education, HEQED Home.
The consortium partners are:
- Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL), Bergen, Norway. Coordinator
- HAN University of Applied Sciences, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- University of Zaragoza (Unizar), Zaragoza, Spain
- Arcada University of Applied Sciences, Helsinki, Finland
- NGO Handicap International – Humanity & Inclusion
Connecting expertise
One of the goals of the project is the development of a virtual HEQED Home. The HEQED home will be easily accessible, easy to use, and it will promote development and involvement of a broad range of stakeholders. In collaboration with the partnering stakeholders, it will be a space for knowledge construction, a resource for sharing of data, knowledge and perspectives on equity in health. It will be a platform for life-long learning opportunities and experiences, and a connection point for future participative research and action initiatives. In addition to the HEQED Home, knowledge on the topic will be disseminated through (open access) seminars, learning activities, transnational meetings, seminars and an e-book.
Stakeholder involvement for strong education
This project is based on the notion that contemporary health education depends on continuous collaboration between HEIs and institutions/organisations that work in relevant clinical and social fields. A continuous dialogue between different stakeholders is, thus, necessary to exchange perspectives, experiences and to adapt to current and future challenges. Therefore, the key aim of this project is to build competence in health equity.
Further collaboration
Are you interested in further collaboration in the field of eequity in health and equal rigths to health care? Contact Joost van Wijchen (Joost.vanwijchen@han.nl) and Clark Nowack (clark.nowack@han.nl).
Photo: Meet up of HEQED-partners at Zaragoza (Oct 2022)
