How CURIOUS is strengthening health education in Somalia

The project grew out of a long-standing ambition shared by Maastricht University alumnus Abdifatah Ahmed Mohamed and colleagues at SHE Collaborates. SHE Collaborates is the office for international collaboration at the School of Health Professions Education (SHE). “We first met in January 2023 and spoke about the possibility of connecting universities in Somalia with Maastricht University,” says Emmaline Brouwer of SHE Collaborates. “It started as an ambition, but ambitions also need resources. When the opportunity arose to apply for Erasmus+ funding, we worked together with our partners to turn that ambition into a project.”

Today, CURIOUS brings together four universities with a shared goal: improving health professions education while ensuring it reflects the needs of students, healthcare providers and communities in Somalia.

One of the moments that stood out most during the visit came during a session at Maastricht University's Skillslab. There, Abdifatah encountered a haemoglobin testing device that has been used in Somali healthcare facilities for many years.

“When I saw that device, I started questioning whether ‘resource-limited setting’ is always the right term,” he says. “Sometimes we focus on what we don’t have, but perhaps we should focus more on how we use the resources that are already available to us. This project is also about recognising existing strengths and building on them.”

For Emmaline, that reflection captures an important lesson in educational development.  “What matters is not having the most advanced technology,” she says. “It is understanding what students need to learn and finding the most effective way to support that learning.”

Throughout the week, participants explored topics such as curriculum design, faculty development, quality enhancement and practical skills training. They observed tutorial groups, visited learning facilities and exchanged experiences with educators. For Abdifatah, one of the most valuable aspects was seeing how theory and practice are integrated from the start of students’ education.

“What really stood out was how early students begin practising clinical skills,” he says. “That gives them more time to develop confidence and competence while connecting theory to practice.” 

At the same time, both partners stress that the project is not about transferring a European model to Somalia. “There is no desire to copy and paste what we do in Maastricht,” says Emmaline. “The goal is to explore different approaches and develop solutions that fit the local context.”

While online collaboration has made international partnerships easier than ever, both partners agree that meeting in person brought a new dimension to the relationship. “You don’t only talk about the project,” says Emmaline. “You talk about family, culture and daily life. Those conversations create connections on multiple levels, and that makes collaboration much stronger.”

As CURIOUS moves into its next phase, the focus will shift towards curriculum renewal, faculty development and stakeholder engagement. But for those involved, the project is about more than educational innovation alone.

“We hope this partnership helps universities continue learning from one another and creates opportunities for future generations of students and educators,” says Abdifatah. “Meaningful change starts with collaboration.”

Interested in learning more about the CURIOUS project? Please contact Emmaline Brouwer at e.brouwer@maastrichtuniversity.nl. You can also follow the project's progress and updates on the CURIOUS LinkedIn page.