Queen’s has launched a new course that allows students to travel to Tanzania with almost full funding.
A new course that lets students travel to Tanzania will teach them about the determinants of health in a different country. Determinants of health include the social and economic environment, the physical environment, and the person’s individual characteristics and behaviours, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Last week, the University finalized the list of 22 students who will be the first cohort of the HSCI 595, Cross-Cultural Determinants of Health Experiential Course (Tanzania). The course, which received almost full funding by the Government of Canada, will run in the second term, winter 2025, and involves a two-week long trip to Tanzania.
During the students’ time there, they’ll partake in various activities designed to help them learn about the determinants of health in that country, according to the University’s website.
For instance, students will learn about female genital mutilations (FGM) from a local Tanzanian organization that’s working to stop FGM. Dr. Jenn Carpenter, associate professor in the department of emergency medicine and school of public health, global and population health track lead in the Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHSc) program, and the course instructor said in an interview with The Journal.
FGM is a surgical procedure to remove a part or the entirety of the external female genitalia, according to the United Nations. The practice is usually performed by traditional practitioners on girls between infancy and 15 years old.
According to WHO, one in 10 women in Tanzania have gone through FGM.
The trip will introduce important lessons to students, including learning about cultural sensitivity and positionality. Positionality refers to where one is located in relation to their various social identities such as gender, race, class, ethnicity, ability, and geographical location—and how these identities shape their perspective and experiences.
“This is an educational experience, not volunteering. It’s not like we can actually do anything specific to help those community organizations that are going to be educating us, but we do it by financially ing them for their time and helping their work,” Dr. Carpenter said.
The approximate costs of the course is $5,000, with $2,000 for travel expenses and $3,000 for activity fees. The activity fee includes accommodations and the financial for the local organizations, according to the University. The students will have to cover visa application and travel insurance.
This Global Skills Opportunity (GSO) project, funded by the Government of Canada, will provide each student with $5,000 to overcome the financial barrier in enrolling in the course.
GSO funding was secured by the Office of the Vice-Provost, Global Engagement. GSO funding funds eight programs. The courses include the Faculty of Arts and Science Global Undergraduate Research Opportunity and the International Law Programs (Kingston-Berlin).
“GSO is an integral component of the Government of Canada’s five-year International Education Strategy, Building on Success,” the University said in a statement to The Journal. “Funding is set to conclude in March 2025 however, the university and college sector along with Universities Canada are recommending that the Government of Canada renew this successful pilot.”
Dr. Carpenter said the course was first developed in 2018, but the pandemic caused its progress to be postponed.
“Students have been asking for a course like this for years,” she said.
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