“How new Communication and Information Technologies Can Help Improve Population Health in Greece and the U.S. is a Core Objective of the Universities’ Partnership”
The 1st Joint e-Symposium between Harokopio University and Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, USA, was held on June 10, 2021, with great success and the participation of about one hundred individuals from the U.S. and Greece.
This event was the first in a series of joint e-symposia and other activities planned by the two universities in the context of a broader collaboration with an emphasis on Health Communication Across the Health Professions. The first e-symposium focused on research from Greece and the U.S. about “Employing Technology to Improve Health Assessment, Health
Communication, & Healthcare Delivery.”
Faculty from both universities discussed and explored different levels of new communication and information technologies and how these will improve health services in general -and in particular-, based on research conducted at both universities. The virtual symposium included research presentations by researchers at Rutgers’ School of Communication & Information and School of Health Professions University, as well as Harokopio’s School of Digital Technology. It also offered an opportunity to health professionals, students, and all the participants to share experience and knowledge about new tools that facilitate individuals’ efforts to monitor their health, as well as seeking and providing social support to people living with various health conditions, especially in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The advancement of global health education and research, and the future of work, in general, and specifically in the health sector, are the two larger issues of interest to Harokopio and Rutgers partners. The two institutions are collaborating in the context of the International Academic Partnership Program-Greece (IAPP-Greece), an academic incubator program sponsored in 2020 by the Greek Ministry of Education, the U.S. Department of Education, the Institute of International Education, and the Fulbright Foundation, among other organizations.
Through this collaboration, Harokopio University and Rutgers University aim at realizing their shared vision of fostering international research activities, as well as developing international educational programs, distance learning, and technology-enhanced courses and programs designed to address the needs of an increasingly diverse and mobile student population.