This blended program equips a new generation of selected young researchers in Indonesia with the knowledge and skills to conduct research and make well-informed healthcare decisions. To strengthen research capacity in four participating Indonesian universities in a sustainable manner, the program aims to establish an infrastructure of online education development in Indonesia.
Indonesia is a middle income, Southeast Asian country that faces an alarming rise in chronic diseases. Just non-communicable diseases alone are estimated to account for over 70% of the mortality rate in Indonesia, while it continues to bear the traditional burden of infectious diseases.
Addressing these challenges requires locally generated evidence and professional expertise through epidemiological and public health research. To improve the future health and well-being in Indonesia, it is necessary to create a cohort of professionals that can lead the development of a stronger public health service, based on relevant and locally generated health research and evidence. By introducing a blended learning program to medical faculties in Indonesia, this project helps to secure the continued education of young Indonesian researchers.
Indonesian authorities recognize that online teaching will greatly improve access and flexibility of education within this large country. Elevate was able to contribute to the project in multiple ways.
First, the Indonesian participants were enrolled into 6 existing core courses of the MSc Epidemiology program. Second, an online “train-the-trainer” module was offered, to train Indonesian professionals in becoming moderators for online components of the program. Third, Elevate leads the development of 4 new, online courses offered by the consortium partners at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), University College London (UCL), Universitas Indonesia (UI) and University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU). This consortium was established in 2017 with funding from the European Commission under the “Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education” grant program. Fourth, Elevate had an advisory role in the development of a local, online learning and a video center in Indonesia, used for the development of future online course materials in Indonesia.
New online courses
Indonesian universities
International consortium partners
Course participants
Within the project, the MSc Epidemiology Postgraduate Online program is used as a basis for a concise certification track program, through a set of 6 core distance learning courses covering the essential principles of study design, data analysis and clinical epidemiology. Additionally, students follow online courses on big data (developed by UCL), appropriateness of health care utilization (developed by UAB), development of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines (developed by UI and CEEBM), and prognostic research (developed by Julius Center and the Dutch Cochrane Center), all important areas in health research and policy. Elevate supports online course development facilities in all Indonesian partner institutes, including the creation of a modern video learning center for CEEBM and Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital. Finally, senior staff of the European partner institutes are sent to provide a “teach-the-teachers” program and to supervise candidates’ research.
Elevate will continue to support the HEALTH-I consortium in order to develop a sustainable business model for the e-learning educational modules, the local learning and the video center. These need to be maintained in a way that participation can be broadened and individual costs can be reduced.
