Sudan Medical Specialisation Board and the Centre for Global Health, Trinity College, Dublin.

The partnership formed between the Sudan Medical Specialization Board (SMSB) and the Centre for Global Health (CGH), Trinity College, Dublin, is ESTHER Ireland’s most recently accredited partnership. SMSB spearheads the production of specialised doctors and allied health professionals for Sudan. It is the sole professional training body in the Republic of Sudan with a mandate to manage and deliver medical and health speciality programmes throughout the country.

The CGH has a longstanding record of under-taking collaborative research with organisations in different countries and is recognised for its interdisciplinary approaches to research and for employing a vast range of methodologies. The CGH uses research to help mitigate the severe lack of human resources for health in low and middle-income countries.

The SMSB and CGH view research as an inextricable component of strengthening both training, education and healthcare, therefore the overall goal of this partnership is to strengthen existing health systems through improvements in human resources for health training/education and research in Sudan.

The partnership has been in operation since 2017 and a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by both institutes. The focus of this was on post-graduate programmes offered at the SMSB and CHG and sought to enhance and maintain research rigour, revisit thesis guidelines, offer mutual exchanges and research opportunities and strengthen supervision systems. Moreover, the partnership seeks to further collaboration and transfer of knowledge through strengthening communication platforms, forming joint symposiums and establishing methodological working groups for students. A small grant from ESTHER Ireland assisted this partnership with the purchase of telecommunications software for both institutions, this facilitated shared lectures, seminars and regular partnership updates.

ESTHER Ireland would like to wish SMSB and the CGH continued success with their partnership.