Collaboration between University of Skövde and University of Gothenburg, Sweden and Kathmandu Medical College

Principal Investigator: Dr. Natalia Oli, Associate Professor, Department of Community Medicine

Workshop Swedish-research links at the University of Skövde

[29-30 November 2017]

This Swedish Research Links project, led by Prof. Alexandra Krettek, focuses on health promotive strategies for cardiovascular disease in Nepal and uses the proposed research focus as platform for capacity building through a research link between Sweden and Nepal. Dr. Oli led the HARDIC -II (The Heart-health Associated Research, Dissemination, and Intervention in the Community) trial, which is about cardiovascular health promotion among mothers with small children, focused on diet and physical activity. This is a community trial where health education intervention, based on the previous findings from qualitative and quantitative studies conducted in the community were developed and applied in order to improve mothers’ knowledge, attitude and behavior. Dr. Oli received her doctoral (PhD) degree from University of Gothenburg based on the HARDIC project. Her PhD thesis and papers can be found at: https://gupea.ub.gu.se/handle/2077/55388.

The HARDIC study began in 2010 with Prof. Dr. Abhinav Vaidya as the Principal Investigator and helped establish Jhaukhel and Duwakot areas as a Health Demographic Surveillance Site. He earned his PhD in 2014. His Her PhD thesis and papers can be found at: https://gupea.ub.gu.se/handle/2077/35444.

Workshop on Grant Writing and Digitalization for Cardiovascular Health Research [26th to 29th November 2018]

Kathmandu Medical College, in collaboration with University of Skövde, organized a four-day two-part workshop titled “Grant writing and Digitalization for Cardiovascular Health Research in Low-resource Settings” at KMC Sinamangal from 26th to 29th November 2018. The workshop was logistically supported by the Training sub-committee and Research sub-committee of Medical Education Department. The various sessions were facilitated by Swedish and Nepali experts in the field of grant writing, digitalization and cardiovascular health research. The first part of the workshop on grant writing was mainly facilitated by Dr. Mats Rydehell from University of Skövde, Sweden. The second part of the workshop on digitalization was facilitated by Prof. Alexandra Krettek, Assoc. Prof. Gabriele Eiben, and Prof. Per Backlund (online) of University of Skövde, Sweden; Dr. Natalia Oli of Kathmandu Medical College; and Prof. Madhusudan Subedi of Patan Academy of Health Sciences. The workshops were coordinated by Prof. Dr. Abhinav Vaidya - the main international applicant of the Swedish Research Links Grant from the Swedish Research Council, and Dr. Natalia Oli - the Principal Investigator of the HARDIC project. There were a total of 55 participants, among which 26 participated in part one of the workshop and 29 in part two. The sessions were very thought-provoking and interactive, with the participants taking part actively in the various individual and group assignments.