The Bradford/Mirpur connection and the global citizenship of its young people

Partner Institutes
School of Lifelong Education and Development, University of Bradford	Mirpur University of Science and Technology (MUST), University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (UAJK)

Caught between two cultures – no place in the world illustrates this dichotomy better than Bradford in the UK which has one of the highest percentages of people of Pakistani origin. More than 80% of these Bradford Pakistanis come from Mirpur, Kashmir. It is common for most families to regularly shuttle between the two countries and the two very diverse cultures. Statistics show that approximately 50% of Mirpuri-heritage Bradford children go on extended leave at least once in their school lifetimes.

Mirpur University of Science and Technology (MUST) and the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (UAJK) have partnered with the School of Lifelong Education and Development, University of Bradford to study this interesting sociological phenomenon. The project aims to better understand the impact of extended leave and how best to educationally support young people who live cross-culturally.

Expert opinion on living between two cultures is divided. On the one hand is the perception that prolonged absence from their hometown has a negative impact on children’s education and is responsible for their underachievement and subsequent anti-social activities, whereas others believe that extended periods abroad provide vital cultural and social learning.

While research will be carried out to determine the effects of this cultural duality, the most important aspect of the project is to ensure that the young people involved feel at home in both places. To do so, partnerships between educational institutions in Bradford and Mirpur are being encouraged in order to devise a collaborative curriculum for those children who are away from school for long periods.

It has become fashionable to talk of ‘global citizenship’ as a positive experience; but ask those who actually live between two countries and experience a sense of alienation from both. Through this project, the Pakistani and UK universities hope to provide children of Mirpuri origin living in Bradford some semblance of a normal academic life and help them in their struggle to fit in.

Lessons learnt/Challenges faced:

• Necessity of long lead in times and volume of preparatory  work when engaging others in the project (such as university students and local schools)
• Necessity of good, frequent communication and plenty of advance warning and planning when trying to link virtually with partner organisation events
• Social networking media works well when engaging students   

 Impact:

• Deeper and more informed understanding of extended trips abroad to visit family
• Sense of how young people are making sense of and forming self identities around ‘family life in two places’   
• Giving students the opportunity to engage in and lead a piece of interesting research – student voice and students as agents of change
• Disseminating (staff and student presenters) to wider group via conference presentation

Key Contacts:

Nadira Mirza, University of Bradford

N.S.Mirza@bradford.ac.uk, www.bradford.ac.uk

Dr Louise Comerford Boyes

L.Comerford-boyes@bradford.ac.uk, www.bradford.ac.uk

  

Prof. Dr. Habib-ur-Rehman, Mirpur University of Science and Technology

Vc@must.edu.pk, www.must.edu.pk

Syed Tanveer Hussain Shah, Azad Jammu Kashmir University

tanveer.hussain@ajku.edu.pk, www.ajku.edu.pk

Development of Bioinformatics Research, Teaching and Infrastructure at the University of Sindh

Partner Institutes
University of Essex	University of Sindh, Jamshoro

Bioinformatics is the application of computer science and information technology to the field of biology and medicine. It is an important strategic field for development, because it brings together ideas from biology, biochemistry, computer science, mathematics and statistics. There is a growing need for education in bioinformatics in Pakistan. At present, the country has limited growth in technology and it is becoming increasingly important for it to take up ventures which would enhance its technological capabilities.

University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Pakistan, in partnership with University of Essex, UK, plans on building a strong and coherent bioinformatics group at the University of Sindh under the INSPIRE Strategic Partnership Programme.

The project will seek to introduce an effective and comprehensive professional development programme for researchers in both institutes. Essex will help Sindh in the development of its infrastructure for technology transfer and research commercialisation. Members of the Essex team will assist in conducting projects and workshops; leading to a detailed assessment of the gaps in Sindh's existing provision for research commercialisation and professional development relevant for bioinformatics.

There will also be PhD projects available for students at the Sindh University. The aim is to further the professional development of research students and early career researchers by raising their awareness of the exploitation of research. Another avenue would be ‘Communicating Your Research in the Media’. This course will be led by staff from the Communications and External Relations section at the University of Essex. It will focus on communicating research to non-expert audiences which is an important way of raising the profile of a researcher.

Essex University’s International Strategic Agenda 2010-2013 includes a commitment to build on the long history of international engagement to further internationalise the university through a systematic strategic approach. The project at hand will provide them a good start in their aim to internationalise the university through collaborations and partnerships. This will also benefit Essex in establishing a variety of leadership and professional development courses and conduct workshops for its students and faculty members.

Lessons learnt:

• Learnt to work together with different educational systems of UK and Pakistan. 
• Obtained first hand knowledge of working in the field of Bioinformatics.

Challenges faced:

• Identification and preparation of team of passionate experts who are willing to work together for the establishment of the M.PHIL/PhD in Bioinformatics at University of Sindh
• The security situation and complications resulting from it in Pakistan has slowed down the exchange visit process.

Impact:

• This project has ensured a lasting impact on University of Sindh by establishing the field of Bioinformatics at the University to conduct of teaching and research
• Better understanding of some of the hurdles that are being faced in Pakistan with regards to Bioinformatics

Key contacts:

Dr. Andrew Harrison, University of Essex

harry@essex.ac.uk, www.essex.ac.uk

Prof. Dr. M.Y. Khuhawar, University of Sindh

mykhuhawar@usindh.edu.pk, www.usindh.edu.pk

Developing Medical Education in Pakistan

Partner Institutes
University of Liverpool	University of Health Sciences

Disease, malnutrition, a lack of clean drinking water and high infant mortality rate – these are just some of the health problems that Pakistan has to face today. Add to that the growing number of emergencies that have befallen the country – not only the devastating natural disasters like the recent floods but also the numerous bomb blasts that occur periodically – and you have a set of challenges that any developing country would find daunting.

In such circumstances, it is important to invest in the training of local health professionals and constantly update their skills so that they are capable of meeting these challenges. Medical Education is a strand of medicine that focuses on these very areas – providing training and continuous professional development to health practitioners.

The University of Health Sciences in Lahore has over 24 affiliated medical colleges with departments dedicated to Medical Education, but they realise that they lack the latest knowledge and skills required for efficient practise. Hence, the university is collaborating with the University of Liverpool under the INSPIRE banner to develop an innovative and sustainable project aimed to increase efficiency, enhance research and secure funding for health projects.

Workshops and staff exchanges between the two institutions are being carried out.  Project progress and lessons learnt have been presented at International conferences.  It is intended to support the publication of Pakistani research in international journals. Another important development underway is a Post Graduate Certificate in Medical Education (UHS) administered by the University of Liverpool in Pakistan.

Health in Pakistan receives a tiny portion of the total national expenditure. Any project that aims to strengthen the local medical profession has the potential to affect millions. This collaborative INSPIRE partnership can be groundbreaking in terms of the positive changes it brings about in the health industry and the delivery of quality service.

Lessons learnt:

• Working across cultures, especially institutional cultures, and the need to embed structures for sustainability is a major learning process
• Inter-personal relationships in such projects are critical. Because of the nature of the project, is very dependent on the enthusiasm of key stakeholders.

 Challenges faced:

• Due to different cultures, it is often difficult to keep up the pace on the same level at both universities.
• Tracking funding from British Council was a challenging task.
  
  

Impact:

• The project would have a sustainable impact as Post-graduate programmes have been started at University of Health Sciences which are facilitated by University of Liverpool.
• There is also a strong possibility that students from University of Health Sciences would advance to PhD at University of Liverpool.
• A new programme called “Introduction to Medical Education” is also in process under this project. This programme will be aimed at new staff members.

Key contacts:

Dr. Ian Willis, University of Liverpool

ian.willis@liverpool.ac.uk, www.liverpool.ac.uk

Prof. Arif Rashid Khawaja, University of Health Sciences

med@uhs.edu.pk, www.uhs.edu.pk