Collaboration to advance the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in public health in Asia region
Canadian University Dubai (CUD) has signed a groundbreaking agreement with the world-leading University of Oxford to host the regional MENA network of The Global Health Network (TGHN) in CUD’s Department of Public Health. The collaboration designates CUD as the premier regional hub for the TGHN MENA network and implementing partner in the ‘Artificial Intelligence for Global Health in Asia’ project, which brings prominent academic institutions together with government and non-government entities to explore and advance the potential of health research capacity and AI in public health.
The TGHN was founded in 2010 to help medical staff in low and middle-income countries to participate in clinical research. The Network now supports the worldwide transfer of expertise among healthcare researchers and promotes international equity in knowledge through thematic regional research hubs. The vision for the Network’s new MENA hub at CUD is to strengthen the capacity of public health education, policy, and practice, addressing the unique challenges faced by public health institutions in the region.
Reflecting the potential impact of rapid technological advancements, the MENA initiative specifically focusses on supporting knowledge exchange and translation to inform evidence regarding the responsible use of artificial intelligence in global healthcare. The project will involve the development and launch of an open-access and trilingual digital hub as a platform for healthcare stakeholders, including features such as automatic usage tracking, eLearning modules, and tools for collaboration to promote substantial engagement and growth.
The agreement between CUD and the University of Oxford follows discussions initiated at the 2022 Global Health Network Conference in Cape Town, where Assistant Professor, Dr. Mohammed Alkhaldi, delivered a keynote address on enabling health research. As a regional coordinator, Dr. Alkhaldi will now work alongside Dr. Aseel Takshe, Chair of CUD’s Department of Public Health, to supervise the project and lead the regional network, which includes organizations such as WHO-EMRO, Egypt, the National Council for Scientific Research, Lebanon, and University of Doha for Science and Technology, Qatar. The network will also engage with international institutions, including the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Switzerland, McGill University, Canada, and Institute Pasteur de Tunis, Tunisia.
Highlighting the importance of the collaboration, Dr. Alkhaldi said, “This is a significant network that will foster knowledge and research productivity on various public health topics and promote expertise and technology exchange in the MENA region. We expect this enhanced reciprocity in public health education, research, and practice to strengthen local and international collaborations, to create joint projects and initiatives that contribute to addressing the region’s health issues. It will boost multidisciplinary engagement across leading institutions from different sectors, both regionally and in the UAE, and offers the potential to open new educational and training opportunities for CUD students.”
This new collaboration for CUD’s Department of Public Health follows other recent initiatives to help increase capacity in global healthcare. Most recently and for first of its kind in the UAE and MENA, the University entered into a partnership agreement with Global University Systems Canada, to create pathways to North American medical schools for BSc in Public Health graduates.