This week RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland) hosted the third annual International Education Forum which began on Monday, 23 and concluded on Thursday, 26 June.

The Forum saw more than 40 staff from RCSI Bahrain and PU-RCSI, Malaysia join with over 100 colleagues in Dublin to attend this year's meeting. The theme ‘Curriculum Development in a Transnational Context’ aimed to build on previous education fora and consolidate the work of the Health Professions Education Centre and Schools of the Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences as RCSI operates in a complex transnational and inter-professional manner.

During the course of the forum, staff from the three campuses review, renew and share challenges and innovations in the core curriculum, educational technology, student support and international education trends.

The programme began with two days of closed Faculty sessions for RCSI staff. A School of Medicine Junior Cycle programme took place in St Stephen's Green with an Intermediate and Senior Cycle programme taking place in ERC Beaumont on Monday, 23. The programme on Tuesday, 24 centred on ‘Focusing on Vertical Integration within the Medical Curriculum, Inter-professional competencies and transferable models’. 

This morning, the programme opened to RCSI staff and invited guests and focuses on ‘Progress on Inter-Professional Themes’ including an International Guest Lecture from Dr Jan van Dalen, Director of Training and Assessment Communication Skills, Maastricht University.

On Thursday, 26 June the International Education Forum is proceeded by the National Seminar Series ‘Bridging the Gap - Researching and Enacting Transition Pedagogy for STEM and Medical Students'; an open session in collaboration with the 3U Partnership and National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning at Higher Level.

Professor Hannah McGee, Dean, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, RCSI said: “Fostering a sense of collegiality and annual renewal is very important in a system where weekly and daily communication, to ensure delivery of a common curriculum in three countries, is done routinely by videoconference and email over three time zones. The Forum provides a fantastic opportunity for staff based in Ireland and overseas to share their experiences during the past academic year to ensure that lessons learned can be built into further development of a common programme across three sites. We welcome our international colleagues to RCSI in Dublin this week to learn from their perspective and expertise.”