SOMT University of Physiotherapy is convinced that besides students also the staff will grow to its full potential when meeting different people with a different culture as background and in a different cultural setting. Furthermore, the staff can learn from developments within Physiotherapy care and education in other countries and can benefit from collaboration with other universities to strengthen each other knowledge and profession.
At this moment exchange of staff is taking place with three other universities. With all of these three universities a memorandum of understanding has been signed.
- The VUB, Brussels, Belgium. There is an exchange of staff both ways. While SOMT University of Physiotherapy benefits from the advance knowledge and skills of the functional anatomist of the free University of Brussels Prof. A. Scafoglieri, the VUB benefits from the advance knowledge in building a modern educational international program, by Prof. E. van Trijffel. This strong collaboration between these institutes has led to a strengthening in both education as research. An example is the collaboration with Prof. Bautmans on the research project in “intrinsic capacity and functional decline” as one of the major research topics of SOMT University of Physiotherapy research.
- St John’s University in York, England has developed an educational program for Advanced Clinical Practitioner ship within Physiotherapy. Due to the development of musculoskeletal health in the NHS health care in England their advanced knowledge on this topic is of a major input and wealth of information for SOMT. SOMT University of Physiotherapy offered an Associate Professorship to Prof. J. Thompson as lecturer in this educational module at SOMT University of Physiotherapy. In the future SOMT University of Physiotherapy is working on a joined research program on advanced health care with St John’s University, York and the VU University in Amsterdam.
- Muhimbili University Hospital Dar es Salaam (MUHAS university) in Tanzania is currently developing a university-based Physiotherapy program. SOMT University of Physiotherapy offered their assistance by means of external reviewing of the program by Prof. A. Pool-Goudzwaard and offering an exchange in staff especially on university trained MSc and PhD’s who can teach clinical reasoning and evidence based physiotherapy. The last two years SOMT University of Physiotherapy supported some members of the Staff (5 tutors) to travel and stay in Tanzania for 2 weeks time to give courses on women’s health care and low back pain. (Mrs B. Hylkema (MSc), Mrs L. Westerik (MSc), Mr. M. Stenneberg (MSc), Mr R. Wingbermuhle (Phd Student MSc) and Prof. A.Pool-Goudzwaard.
For future development SOMT University of Physiotherapy is working on exchange of staff and students with other partners as (See partnerships):
- University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
- Universidade de Lisboa, Lissabon Portugal