THE APPLICABILITY OF PRIORITY RESEARCH THEMES TO THE NORTH-SOUTH COLLABORATION

1. THE APPLICABILITY OF PRIORITY RESEARCH THEMES TO THE NORTH-SOUTH COLLABORATION Mireille Mathieu, Ph.D. Université de Montréal

2. Two examples in the public health sector at the Université de Montréal: • TRANSNUT: WHO Collaborating Centre on Nutrition Changes and Development. Supported and funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA-UPCD Program) and the Canadian Health Research Institutes (CIHR) • Network for Population and Health Leadership in Sub-Saharan Africa: Supported and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA-Canada Fund for Africa)

3. TRANSNUT: WORKING ON THE DOUBLE NUTRITIONAL BURDEN IN FRANCOPHONE AFRICA • Targeted countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo • Network created in 2000 and coordinated by Dr. Helene Delisle, Full Professor, Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine • Multidisciplinary team at Université de Montréal regrouping professors-researchers in areas such as: nutrition, endocrinology, epidemiology, demography, biostatistics, nutritional education • Main partners in Africa: Regional Institute for Public Health and Université d’Abomey-Calavi (Benin); Institute for Research in Health Sciences and Université de Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso); Helen Keller International (Africa Office); WHO’s Regional Office in Ouagadougou

4. TRANSNUT: STRENGTHENING INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY IN TRAINING AND RESEARCH • Goal and impact of the project: Contribute to the progressive reduction of chronic diseases related to nutrition, such as obesity and diabetes, in urban areas (sedentary populations) of Sub-Saharan Africa • Main objectives/activities: • Institutional strengthening and training of human resources in public nutrition, using interdisciplinary and cross-sectors approaches • Action Research Projects with schools and communities • Integration of double nutritional burden in national, regional and local policies/programs

5. TRANSNUT: DISSEMINATION AND NETWORKING • Production of a monograph submitted to WHO and PAHO: A Practical Guide for Planning Obesity Prevention Programmes among school-age Children and Adolescents in Developing Countries • Organization of and participation in international workshops and symposia on topics such as: • Maternal and child nutrition • Diet quality and chronic diseases – a global perspective • Early nutritional influences on obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease risk – The evidence, policy implications and research priorities

6. NETWORK FOR POPULATION AND HEALTH LEADERSHIP IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA • Targeted countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghan, Mali • Network created in 2002 and coordinated by Dr. Thomas LeGrand and Dr. Victor Piché, Full Professors, Department of Demography, Faculty of Arts and Sciences • Project funded by the Global Health Division of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for a period of 10 years (2002-2012) • Goal and impact of the network: Create a pole of excellence on population and health capacity building in French-speaking Sub-Saharan Africa • Main partners in Africa: Training and Research Unit on Demography (Université de Ouagadougou); West African Health Organization and its network of partner institutions

7. NETWORK FOR POPULATION AND HEALTH LEADERSHIP IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA • Two highly complementary projects: • Gates Foundation Project: Transforming the Demography Training and Research Unit of Université de Ouagadougou into a regional leadership-training and policy-research center for French-speaking Sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on reproductive and child health issues (Budget: 11,6 million US) • Canada Fund for Africa Project: Developing effective, evidence-based policies and interventions, focusing on adolescent/youth health in four West African countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana and Mali) (Budget: 10 million US)

8. NETWORK FOR POPULATION AND HEALTH LEADERSHIP IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA • Main project activities (Gates Foundation): • Establishment of a DESS Training Program in Population and Health at the Université de Ouagadougou delivered to 135 students • Doctoral training in population and health at the Université de Montréal (17 students) • Intensive regional training seminars and policy workshops for current leaders in both the public and private NGO sectors • Evaluative research and database management activities for the staff of the Training and Research Unit on Demography of the Université de Ouagadougou

9. NETWORK FOR POPULATION AND HEALTH LEADERSHIP IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA • Main project activities (Canada Fund for Africa): • Innovative community interventions on youth health (training workshops, needs assessment of community health services and centres, health education activities in schools) • Creation of a Reference Centre on Youth Health in each of the four targeted countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali) • Information workshops on gender issues, public health policies/services • Establishment of an exchange program between young Canadians and young Africans on youth health issues

10. INSTITUTIONAL RECOGNITION OF FACULTY’S INVOLVEMENT IN NORTH-SOUTH INITIATIVES(3 questions for discussion) • Importance of recognizing and rewarding the work of ourfacultymembers (international collaborations in training/research for development) in the global context of the internationalization of universities. What are wedoing in our institutions? • Whichstrategiesshoulduniversities put forward in order to increase/strengthen the participation of facultymembers in international collaborations for development? • Whatkind of financial support do universitiesneed to increase/strengthen the growth of researchactivities for development? What is the impact of theseactivities on the process of internationalization of ouruniversities?