18 September 2014

New research cooperation to improve public health

The use of welfare technology such as telemedicine is increasing in Danish municipalities and regions. At the same time, there is an increasing requirement for more user involvement and more coherent treatment pathways. This is due to rising numbers of senior citizens and people with lifestyle diseases and chronic diseases, as well as the need to exploit our welfare resources as effectively as possible. But how do we design new healthcare solutions that can benefit both people and the economy?

How do we design new healthcare solutions that can benefit both people and the economy? The University of Copenhagen, UCC and the Metropolitan will attempt to find the answers in a new collaboration. Photo: Colour box

This is one of the many important questions about our society and public welfare that the University of Copenhagen, the Metropolitan and UCC will attempt to answer.

“The university colleges are experts in practice-oriented research, while the university researchers’ strength is to examine and analyse practices from a theoretical perspective. By collaborating we will be able to contribute to the solution of urgent social problems,” says Rector Ralf Hemmingsen of the University of Copenhagen.

The partnership is intended to support the three institutions’ research in areas such as diets and lifestyles, inclusion in primary schools, and teaching and learning foreign languages. Just as importantly, the partnership is designed to enhance knowledge sharing and professional collaboration within the welfare sectors.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how we can use the increased cross-fertilisation between theory and practice to provide new answers and ask new questions about key social issues. The projects we will launch together will quickly be put into practice, e.g. through our study programmes for social workers, nurses, nutritionists and primary-school teachers,” says Rector Stefan Hermann from Metropolitan University College, who will sign the partnership agreement today along with Rector Laust Joen Jakobsen of UCC and Rector Ralf Hemmingsen of UCPH.

In the area of public health, the Metropolitan will form part of a number of PhD collaborations with the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen, as well as the Heart Centre of Rigshospitalet (Danish National Hospital), among others.

Focus also on primary schools

UCC has expertise in the primary school area, and the partnership is also designed to help tackle significant challenges in relation to primary-school teaching, for example through a series of interdisciplinary research collaborations on how to teach and learn Danish, foreign languages and science.

“The partnership will give us a new opportunity to enhance practice-oriented educational research in a joint venture between the university and the university colleges. The cooperation is a response to an urgent need to coordinate and focus our research in the area of education. It will increase our opportunities to share, develop and apply our knowledge for the benefit of primary schools, daycare centres, etc.,” says Rector Laust Joen Jakobsen of University College Capital.

The partnership already has a number of successful collaborations in research, education and continuing and further education. The parties are also involved in two consortium collaborations. The experience from these partnerships creates a solid foundation for enhanced cooperation in the field of research.