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Building a Global Nursing Leadership Network – Centre for Professional Development’s Global Nursing Scholars Program

7 January 2025

A delegation of nurse leaders from Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China, visited the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing in late Fall 2024 as participants of the Centre for Professional Development’s Global Nursing Scholars Program.

The two-week long visit was focused primarily on faculty development in teaching and scholarship within a research-intensive university. Delegates, along with teaching and research faculty from Bloomberg Nursing, participated in panel discussions and learning sessions. They shared their programs of research and explored best practices in nursing education. Guest speakers from the University of Toronto, including Michelle Beaton, Director of International Relations, and Aziza Kajan, Director of the Centre for Graduate Mentorship & Supervision, as well as Jason Manayathu, Director of the Toronto Academic Health Sciences Network (TAHSN) also contributed their insights.

Zhejiang University delegation receiving certificates of completion pictured with Leasa Knechtel and Robyn Stremler centre.

The program offered participants opportunities to connect with four TAHSN partner organizations through facility tours and presentations highlighting innovations in both teaching and research.

At the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMHH), the delegation engaged with a VR Simulation in the SIM Centre and learned about CAMH’s strategies for student and staff education. Visits to University Health Network (UHN), Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and Sinai Health Systems’ Bridgepoint Site, provided insights into each institution’s support for practice-based research.

“Our visiting scholars were particularly intrigued by the partnership between TAHSN hospitals and the University of Toronto, specifically their commitment to building practice-based research capacity and cohesive student onboarding,” said Leasa Knechtel, Director of the Centre for Professional Development and lead coordinator of the Global Nursing Scholars program. “They hope to apply this knowledge moving forward, to foster collaborations among affiliate organizations at Zhejiang University.”

The Global Nursing Scholars Program was established to align with Bloomberg Nursing’s commitment to strategic global leadership in nursing research and education. For several years, it has created international opportunities for collaboration with partner hospitals and universities in China and around the world.

Following the visit, Knechtel noted that program participants expressed interest in future research partnerships with Bloomberg Nursing faculty members and the possibility of establishing a graduate student exchange program between Bloomberg Nursing and Zhejiang University.