ISGlobal and MSF Renew Training and Research Collaboration Agreement

The Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) and the NGO Médicos Sin Fronteras (MSF) in Spain have renewed their collaboration agreement for joint activities in global health training and research. The agreement, signed by Antoni Plasència, Director General of ISGlobal, and Marta Cañas, Director General of MSF, has an initial duration of three years, with the possibility of renewal for successive three-year periods.

To promote synergies between MSF's medical-operational experience and ISGlobal's academic experience, the two organisations have had a collaboration agreement since 2014 to develop postgraduate and university courses in global health. This agreement has now been extended to research, consolidating a relationship that began more than a decade ago, with MSF’s participation in the ISGlobal-UB Master's Degree in Global Health, a benchmark postgraduate programme to study health from a global and multidisciplinary perspective. 

"The collaboration between ISGlobal and Médicos Sin Fronteras is a unique opportunity for ISGlobal to share its experience and knowledge in global health with a leading organisation in humanitarian crisis response such as MSF. The joint work between both organisations enriches global health education and contributes to improving the quality of health care in humanitarian crisis contexts," says Núria Casamitjana, ISGlobal's Director of Education.

From now on, and on an annual basis between June and July, an agenda of research priorities will be shared at a coordination meeting attended by research staff from both organisations. In addition to joint collaborations, the two institutions will be able to request specific technical support for their respective research.

In addition to maintaining the existing cooperation in training activities and the functioning of the Training Commission, the new agreement establishes a new Scientific Commission to conduct and coordinate research activities. At ISGlobal, the Scientific Commission will be represented by Denise Naniche, Scientific Director, and members of the Project Unit.