ZIP
Improve the Information Communication and Technology (ICT) infrastructure and to provide capacity training for a cadre of ICT professionals to sustain and enhance programs within the College of Health Sciences at the University of Zimbabwe (UZCHS) and the Biomedical Research & Training Institute (BRTI). The program is a collaboration between the Stanford University Medical Center, the UZCHS and the BRTI.
training
In-house training for personnel of the Audio–Visual Training Unit, the Research Support Centre, Institute for Continuing Health Education,the Department of Health Professions Education and Biomedical Research & Training Institute.
Internships
Internships for ICT students so they can gain practical in-service experience in networking and network administration, programming for android tablets, and support the implementation of learning management systems under the supervision of ICT staff.
workshops and training
Providing workshops and training in new ICT solutions for data capture (such as through the use of hand-held data capture instruments), data storage (using both land-based and “cloud” technologies), and bioinformatics tools for management of complex measurements and records.
Our Story
University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences (UZCHS) has a curriculum that engages its students in community based education, in which the students do field attachment in remote district and provincial hospitals. At a given instant about two hundred and fifty mostly 2ndand 4th students and around twenty faculty members would be on the schedule for the rural and community attachments. The learners include medical students who have extended attachments to district, provincial and mission hospitals serving large scale commercial farming and rural communities. Rehabilitation and physiotherapy students are attached to rural clinics and hospitals in rural and large commercial farming areas and to communities in industrial and municipal areas. This gives them exposure to knowledge, skills and practical experience that are relevant to our context.
IMPACT OF THE PROJECT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
The project is based on the principle of cloud computing. Cloud computing can provide e-resources as a utility in a similar manner as electricity as compared to having to build and maintain computing infrastructures in-house. This approach will be convenient for low income countries where the cost of establishing physical internet infrastructure are not affordable and the geographical set up may be deterrent to such infrastructure. Huge sums of money can be served through this cost-cutting and technology-based students’ supervision and mentoring. The challenges of migrating to e-learning such as low bandwidth will be ameliorated. The problems of power outages and high traffic on the existing physical internet infrastructure where the online resources are hosted will also be reduced.
Program Team
Prof. D. Katzenstein, MD.
Programme PI
Dr. S. Munyati, PhD
Programme Co-PI
Dr. J. Manasa, PhD
Programme Co-PI/Training coordinator
Ms. V. M. Pepukai, Msc
Programme Manager