A Mediterranean Research and Higher Education Intranet in Medical and Biological Sciences
The aim of the project IntraMEDnet is the construction of a medical educational/research intranet between higher education & research institutions from Greece, Italy & Cyprus, to support the undergraduate educational program, graduate practice and residency and to promote research collaborations by: • dissemination of web-based lectures and seminars, covering advanced scientific topics and up-to-date technologies • promotion of research collaborations through web-based shared workspaces Universities at rural areas far from major urban centres have often difficulties in offering a wide range of specialised state-of-the-art topics in their curriculum because of lack of specialized personnel and easy access for external specialists. Additionally, research collaborations are often hindered due to the extra cost and time needed for physical communication. As a result research and education in such Institutions are relatively underdeveloped. Specific actions of the project IntraMEDnet include: § Educational collaboration in medical studies: exchange of web-based seminars on specific state-of-the-art medical topics. Dissemination of electronic lectures and seminars in: advanced and experimental surgical techniques, gene therapy, medical and molecular imaging, medical informatics and telemedicine, quality assurance and safety in the medical environment. A feasibility study will examine the application of a common validation scheme and accreditation system. § Research collaboration: web-based shared workspaces to support seamless scientific collaboration and exchange of information amongst the members of the involved Faculties. The system will allow the presentation of research interests, support scientific communication and common research protocol design, preparation of research proposals, and exchange of scientific results on private web-based shared workspaces. Expected results include the strengthening of research and educational collaborations in Medical Sciences between the countries involved, specifically the exchange of know-how in state-of-art medical educational topics and the reinforcement of research collaborations between institutions geographically dispersed and at isolated mostly rural areas. As a direct consequence, results are expected to include improvement of health services in the areas served by the Healthcare institutions involved. Direct beneficiaries are the Faculties and students of the involved Institutions as well as the citizens of the greater areas that are served by the involved Healthcare Institutions.