USQ gets slice of training
Benefits will flow on to Toowoomba
THE University of Southern Queensland will deliver nursing and midwifery training to China’s next generation of practitioners as part of a program worth $50 million to Queensland’s hospitals and universities over the next decade.
USQ is one of seven universities invited to be part of the Professional Development Consortium, which will deliver training packages to Chinese healthcare professionals and administrators, both in China and in Australia.
USQ Associate Professor and acting Head of School (Nursing and Midwifery) Victoria Terry, speaking on behalf of Professor Christine Neville, said the bulk of USQ’s training would take place in the Garden City.
With 2019 dedicated to planning, USQ will host and deliver nursing and midwifery training to Chinese professionals from both its Toowoomba and Ipswich campuses, with programs to take place between 2020 and 2023.
Prof Terry said the twothree week training courses with 15-20 participants in each would see “a significant number of Chinese practitioners” spending time in Toowoomba over the three years.
The deal was struck between the Queensland and Chinese governments off the back of major health reforms in China.
“It’s a real compliment to Queensland Health, but also to Queensland’s education systems that the Chinese have chosen us to model their healthcare reforms on, and the fact that USQ is part of that is pretty great,” Prof Terry said.
“The financial benefit to Toowoomba and to our community will be enormous and USQ’s recognition on a global scale is a great advantage.
“It opens the doors for research opportunities as well so yeah, it’s very exciting initiative and we’re really excited to be a part of the plan.”