The latest thinking on international development from leading academics will be shared online via podcasts and videos as part of a new project. Interviews and lectures will be recorded and made publicly available online to raise awareness of major challenges in developing countries, including animal health, climate change, education and water supply.
The 15-month initiative is led by The Bloomsbury Colleges – a consortium of six internationally renowned institutions within the University of London (Birkbeck, Institute of Education, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Royal Veterinary College, School of Oriental and African Studies, and The School of Pharmacy). It is being undertaken in collaboration with the London International Development Centre – an academic organisation which brings together social and natural scientists to facilitate interdisciplinary research and training.
£90,000 has been awarded to the consortium by JISC (Joint Information Systems Committee) - a UK government body, which works with the UK education community encouraging the use of digital technologies. Innovative internet-based approaches are central to the project, including the storage of digital resources in ‘the cloud’ – a virtual space online.
Material generated by the project will include:
· Programmes on key international development topics, including:
o Access to medicines
o Animal and human health (including bird flu and swine flu)
o Climate change
o Future of the Millennium Development Goals
o Water resources
· Specially commissioned programmes to coincide with major events in the international development calendar, including:
o International Women’s Day, 8 March
o World Tuberculosis Day, 24 March
o Peace one day, 21 September
o World AIDS Day, 1 December
· Short presentations profiling the international development expertise and training offered by the Bloomsbury Colleges within various categories, including:
o Health and health promotion
o Food production and security
o Environment and biodiversity
o Rural development
o Water and sanitation
o Education
o Sustainable development
· Interviews with each of the six heads of the Colleges about their experiences in international development
Professor Quintin McKellar is Principal of the Royal Veterinary College, one of the Colleges participating in the initiative. He said: “International development issues increasingly impact on all of our lives, from climate change to the threat of diseases like swine flu. Online resources are an effective and appealing way of engaging new audiences and informing them about these matters in a clear and concise way. We are delighted to have secured funding for this project from JISC.”
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