Research Training Research Articles

Lessons from enriching Tanzania’s clinical research ethics clinical trials oversight and pharmacovigilance through the ASCEND project

Engaging in clinical trials in Africa not only enhances researchers' comprehension of local health concerns but also plays a crucial role in tackling global health challenges. In Tanzania, there has been a surge of clinical research for the past 10 years indicating a need to improve ethical and clinical trial regulatory capacity. Several initiatives to address the clinical trial regulatory and ethics challenges have been done. Lessons from such initiatives are important to inform evidence-based decision-making for sustainability. The ASCEND project with the theme of “Moving Tanzania’s Clinical Research Ethics and Medicines Regulatory Capacity to the Next Level: Fostering Medicine Quality, Safety and Good Clinical Practice (GCP) on Clinical Trials” was implemented in Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar from November 2020 to December 2023. A thorough review of the project implementation reports and on deliverables was conducted to identify the lessons learned. Inductive content analysis was used to analyze the information. A total of seven lessons were deduced from the reviewed documents. These include capacity building through training on clinical trials review and approval process, research ethics and GCP inspection which cannot be overlooked; engaging the community in reporting adverse drug events is worth considering; digitalization of electronic systems enhances clinical trial control and creates a dynamic regulatory ecosystem; compliance to requirements for clinical trials conduct is enhanced by training of early and mid-career researchers; networking and broad stakeholders’ engagement and participation in ethics and regulations governing clinical trials is a cornerstone for strengthening collaboration between researchers and regulators; the need for electronic systems for monitoring and evaluation of the project is inevitable and the need for adhering to project timelines is crucial for successful implementation of the project. Sustainability is the take-home message from the ASCEND project and should inform stakeholders for future improvement. Continuous investment and advancement in research ethics and regulatory oversight across Africa should be prioritized.

Utilizing mentorship education to promote a culturally responsive research training environment in the biomedical sciences.

There is an urgent and compelling need for systemic change to achieve diversity and inclusion goals in the biomedical sciences. Because faculty hold great influence in shaping research training environments, faculty development is a key aspect in building institutional capacity to create climates in which persons excluded because of their ethnicity or race (PEERs) can succeed. We present a mixed methods case study of one institution's efforts to improve mentorship of PEER doctoral students through mentorship education workshops for faculty. These workshops were one strategy among others intended to improve graduate trainees' experiences, and positively affect institutional climate with respect to racial and ethnic diversity. Surveys of 108 faculty mentors revealed that about 80% overall agreed or strongly agreed with the value of culturally responsive mentoring behaviors but about 63% overall agreed or strongly agreed that they were confident in their ability to enact those behaviors. Through a series of three focus groups, PEER doctoral students reported that they noticed mentors' efforts to address cultural diversity matters and identified some guidance for how to approach such topics. We discuss future directions and implications for using mentorship education to activate systemic change toward inclusive research training environments and promoting the value of mentorship within institutions.

Development of a multi-level assistive technology focused technology translation training program

ABSTRACT A three-level training intervention was developed using the Quality Implementation Framework (QIF) to increase technology transfer of rehabilitation technologies to market. Thirty-two teams completed Level 1, 14 completed Level 2, and 6 completed Level 3. The validated Technology Transfer Readiness Assessment Tool (TTRAT) measured teams’ technology transfer progress and the effectiveness of the training program. Teams that completed at least two training levels demonstrated increased technology transfer readiness. Additional team outcomes include receiving other federal awards, FDA designations, and generating sales. Future work includes measuring teams’ progress relative to participant demographics and developing additional training content based on gaps in technology transfer readiness. The multi-level training initiative shows it is a promising foundation for training researchers and aspiring entrepreneurs on technology transfer and subsequent technology transfer outcomes.

Doctoral training to support sustainable soil geochemistry research in Africa.

Africa's potential for scientific research is not yet being realized, for various reasons including a lack of researchers in many fields and insufficient funding. Strengthened research capacity through doctoral training programmes in higher education institutes (HEIs) in Africa, to include collaboration with national, regional and international research institutions, can facilitate self-reliant and sustainable research to support socio-economic development. In 2012, the Royal Society and the UK's Department for International Development (now the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) launched the Africa Capacity Building Initiative (ACBI) Doctoral Training Network which aimed to strengthen research capacity and training across sub-Saharan Africa. The ACBI supported 30 core PhD scholarships, all registered/supervised within African HEIs with advisory support from the UK-based institutes. Our 'Soil geochemistry to inform agriculture and health policies' consortium project, which was part of the ACBI doctoral training programme network, was implemented in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe between 2014 and 2020. The aims of our consortium were to explore linkages between soil geochemistry, agriculture and public health for increased crop productivity, nutrition and safety of food systems and support wider training and research activities in soil science. Highlights from our consortium included: (i) the generation of new scientific evidence on linkages between soils, crops and human nutrition; (ii) securing new projects to translate science into policy and practice; and (iii) maintaining sustainable collaborative learning across the consortium. Our consortium delivered high-quality science outputs and secured new research and doctoral training funding from a variety of sources to ensure the continuation of research and training activities. For example, follow-on Global Challenges Research Funded Translation Award provided a strong evidence base on the prevalence of deficiencies in children under 5 years of age and women of reproductive age in Zimbabwe. This new evidence will contribute towards the design and implementation of a nationally representative micronutrient survey as an integral part of the Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Surveys conducted by the Ministry of Health and Child Care. The award also generated new evidence and a road map for creating quality innovative doctorates through a doctoral training landscape activity led by the Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education. Although our project and the wider ACBI has contributed to increasing the self-reliance and sustainability of research within the region, many challenges remain and ongoing investment is required.

International Cooperation between Korea and Cambodia to Conserve and Manage Angkor Stone Heritage using Non-destructive Technology

ABSTRACT The stone team of the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage (NRICH) in Korea implemented a technology transfer project 2016 − 2020 to manage heritage monuments during the Angkor period in Cambodia. This saw staff from both countries’ conservation organisations participating in training, education, and joint research, and making joint academic presentations on technology transfer. The research subjects included statues recovered from the Don Tei and Phnom Bei Temple located near Angkor Thom; the Nokorbachey Temple in Kampong Cham Province, the southern stronghold; and the Banteay Chhmar in Banteay Meanchey Province, a central transportation point in the northwest. Non-destructive technology from Korea was used to investigate the condition of the Angkor ruins, evaluating the suitability of the approach and modifying it as appropriate, and training was conducted to improve the participants’ problem-solving and technology application abilities. This exchange project and the data it generated demonstrate the benefits of continuing this approach to develop the conservation skills and problem-solving abilities of managers of Angkor ruins, and ultimately contribute to the preservation of Asian cultural heritage.

Elevating Scientific Writing in Higher Education: Inquiry-Based Learning as a Tool for Training Competent Researchers

Purpose: The present study examined the relationship between scientific writing and the formation of competent researchers with research-based learning as a starting point. Theoretical Framework: It was based on the fundamentals of research and the ways of providing that knowledge to future researchers, as well as theories of scientific writing and researcher training. Previous studies addressing the relationship between inquiry-based learning with scientific writing and the formation of competent researchers were reviewed, identifying the key elements that contribute to the success of this strategy. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative research with a cross-sectional non-experimental design was developed with the participation of 118 university students from a university in the Loreto region of Peru. Findings: A significant relationship was found between research-based learning and scientific writing (p<0.005) in which the formation of competent researchers partially had this relationship. The results indicated that the university students who were part of the study had better scientific writing. Research, practical & social implications: It can be affirmed that research-based learning is important to improve scientific writing, since it allows to have a better formation of competent researchers. Originality/value: This study contributes original value to the field of higher education by providing empirical evidence on the effectiveness of research-based learning to strengthen scientific writing and the formation of competent researchers in Peruvian university students.

Introduction to the Contemporary Assessment and Recommendations to Enhance Surgical Education and Training: Reports of the Subcommittees of the Blue Ribbon Committee II.

The BRC II was a panel of 67 experts selected on the basis of experience and leadership in surgical education and training. It was organized into subcommittees, each of which was asked to prepare a manuscript on their findings and recommendations. The BRC II Subcommittees were: Blue Ribbon Committee 1 Review and Assessment; Surgical Workforce; Medical Student Education; Work Life Integration; Resident Education; Goals, Structure and Financing of Training; Education Support and Faculty Development; Research Training; Educational Technology and Assessment. BRC II used the Delphi approach with consensus defined as equal to or greater than 80% and identified and recommended 31 priorities for surgical education in 2024. The initial findings were presented to a general surgery and related specialty resident and fellow focus group for comments and written feedback, and they were asked to prepare a manuscript as well. The reports of the Subcommittees of the BRC II provide an assessment and key recommendations concerning surgical education and training in 2024.

Teaching Scientific Literature Analysis: A Systematic Adoption of Skill-Building Methods to Enrich Research Training for Undergraduate Students.

Teaching scientific literature analysis skills is a critical step in research training. Here I describe a 6-week skill-building module on understanding scientific literature, incorporated into a 10-week undergraduate honors research practice course in Neuroscience. Key pedagogical components include: 1) student-centered active-learning, skill-building and community-building activities; 2) persistent adoption of a proven CREATE method and a novel curate scientific summary (CSS) method for teaching scientific literature analysis skills; 3) collaborative class organization consisting of persistent learning pods (PLPs) to facilitate student-driven participation and peer learning; and, 4) role play of a real research lab. Skill development was assessed using a self-assessment survey (SAS) and longitudinal evaluation of the CREATE and CSS methods application by the PLPs to analyze primary research articles (PRAs) over four weeks. Outcomes demonstrate alleviation of pre-existing student anxiety to read complex scientific literature and advancement of critical-thinking and collaborative skills. Specifically, the SAS responses indicate that student perception about reading scientific literature transformed from being a daunting task to an enjoyable activity; this enhanced their confidence in evaluating scientific literature. PLPs fostered student engagement, peer instruction, and community building, and contributed to skill development. Weekly assessment of CREATE and CSS application highlighted marked improvements in students' abilities to analyze and critique complicated scientific material. Role playing a research lab setting with a focused research theme facilitated integrative understanding of a frontier topic in Neuroscience. The outlined innovative approach can be adopted in Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) and should help contribute to systematizing didactic practices to train neuroscientists.

Earnings and work loss after colon and rectal cancer: a Swedish nationwide matched cohort study

Colorectal cancer is common and prognosis is improving. The conditions of survivors of treatment, including financial consequences, are thus important. The aim of this study was to quantify loss of earnings and work loss in working-age patients with colon and rectal cancer relative to matched comparators. The study utilised data from the CRCBaSe database that is generated from the nationwide Swedish ColoRectal Cancer Register and includes data from several Swedish nationwide registers. The study period was 1995-2020 for rectal cancer patients and 2007-2020 for colon cancer patients. A retrospective population-based nationwide cohort study on earnings, disposable income, and work loss, in survivors of stage I-III colorectal cancer treatment was undertaken. Median regression was used to analyse earnings and disposable income, and logistic regression to analyse the probability of work loss. A cohort of 8863 colorectal cancer survivors diagnosed before 2017 and 52,514 comparators matched on birth year, legal sex, and county of residence, was analysed. There was a clear reduction in earnings between the calendar year prior to and the calendar year after diagnosis, from € 31,319 to € 23,924 for colon cancer patients and from € 32,636 to € 22,647 for rectal cancer patients, and earnings never fully recovered during the 5-year follow-up. Disposable income was practically unaltered. The probability of work loss increased in the calendar year of diagnosis, from 29.8% to 25.3% the previous year to 83.3% and 84.4% for colon and rectal cancer patients respectively, and never fully recovered. The probability of work loss was similar between colon and rectal cancer survivors, but was higher among patients with rectal cancer who had received neoadjuvant therapy. This study shows that despite an extensive welfare system providing maintained disposable income, there is a financial burden in the form of increased risk of work loss and a reduction in earnings among survivors of colorectal cancer. The study was supported by the Swedish Cancer Society, the Swedish Cancer and Allergy Foundation, and the Stockholm Cancer Society, and supported by grants provided by the Regional Agreement on Medical Training and Clinical Research (ALF) between the Stockholm County Council and Karolinska Institutet.

The impact of a curriculum-based research training program on medical students’ research productivity and future research interests: a longitudinal study

BackgroundIncorporating scientific research into undergraduate medical education is necessary for the quality of future health care. However, providing rigorous research training to a large number of medical students at one institution remains one of the major challenges. The authors studied the impact of a curriculum-based Research Training Program (RTP) for all undergraduate students at Zhejiang University School of Medicine (ZUSM) on research productivity and future research interests.MethodsMedical students (n = 2,213) from ZUSM who completed the course of RTP between 2013 and 2020 were studied. The authors measured the academic performance, research publications, and research projects of students across years, and evaluated potential factors that contribute to student research productivity and increased interest in future research.ResultsAcross the years, there was an increase in the number of student publications, a greater proportion of students with publications, and a greater proportion of projects involving three or more students (P < .01 for all). The academic performance of the course was associated with increased publications (P = .014), whereas overall satisfaction of the course (OR 2.07, 95% CI [1.39, 3.10], P < .001), Skill Composite Score (SCS) (OR 1.70, 95% CI [1.16, 2.50], P = .007), and male gender (OR 1.50, 95% CI [1.06, 2.12], P = .022) were associated with increased future research interests.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that the curriculum-based RTP improved students’ research productivity, and that overall program satisfaction and self-assessed performance were associated with increased students’ intent to participate in future research.

Research status and application of artificial intelligence large models in the oil and gas industry

This article elucidates the concept of large model technology, summarizes the research status of large model technology both domestically and internationally, provides an overview of the application status of large models in vertical industries, outlines the challenges and issues confronted in applying large models in the oil and gas sector, and offers prospects for the application of large models in the oil and gas industry. The existing large models can be briefly divided into three categories: large language models, visual large models, and multimodal large models. The application of large models in the oil and gas industry is still in its infancy. Based on open-source large language models, some oil and gas enterprises have released large language model products using methods like fine-tuning and retrieval augmented generation. Scholars have attempted to develop scenario-specific models for oil and gas operations by using visual/multimodal foundation models. A few researchers have constructed pre-trained foundation models for seismic data processing and interpretation, as well as core analysis. The application of large models in the oil and gas industry faces challenges such as current data quantity and quality being difficult to support the training of large models, high research and development costs, and poor algorithm autonomy and control. The application of large models should be guided by the needs of oil and gas business, taking the application of large models as an opportunity to improve data lifecycle management, enhance data governance capabilities, promote the construction of computing power, strengthen the construction of “artificial intelligence + energy” composite teams, and boost the autonomy and control of large model technology.

Incorporating Anti-racist Principles Throughout the Research Lifecycle: A Position Statement from the Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM).

Biomedical research has advanced medicine but also contributed to widening racial and ethnic health inequities. Despite a growing acknowledgment of the need to incorporate anti-racist objectives into research, there remains a need for practical guidance for recognizing and addressing the influence of ingrained practices perpetuating racial harms, particularly for general internists. Through a review of the literature, and informed by the Research Lifecycle Framework, this position statement from the Society of General Internal Medicine presents a conceptual framework suggesting multi-level systemic changes and strategies for researchers to incorporate an anti-racist perspective throughout the research lifecycle. It begins with a clear assertion that race and ethnicity are socio-political constructs that have important consequences on health and health disparities through various forms of racism. Recommendations include leveraging a comprehensive approach to integrate anti-racist principles and acknowledging that racism, not race, drives health inequities. Individual researchers must acknowledge systemic racism's impact on health, engage in self-education to mitigate biases, hire diverse teams, and include historically excluded communities in research. Institutions must provide clear guidelines on the use of race and ethnicity in research, reject stigmatizing language, and invest in systemic commitments to diversity, equity, and anti-racism. National organizations must call for race-conscious research standards and training, and create measures to ensure accountability, establishing standards for race-conscious research for research funding. This position statement emphasizes our collective responsibility to combat systemic racism in research, and urges a transformative shift toward anti-racist practices throughout the research cycle.

‘O povo cuidando do povo’: Agentes Populares na promoção de territórios mais sustentáveis e saudáveis

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic had profound impacts on Brazilian society, but little attention was paid to the socio-environmental determination of the health of peripheral populations. This project arises in this context, with the proposal to identify challenges and potential in confronting the pandemic and its consequences in three peripheral and vulnerable territories in Rio de Janeiro. The Inova-TSS notice was the opportunity to develop research that, simultaneously to generating data, would contribute to empowering these territories to better deal with this challenge, thus contributing to making them more sustainable and healthier. Supported by Popular Education and other dialogical perspectives, this is a qualitative study that combined research, training, extension and quantitative research strategies, and was developed in partnership with five social movements, since its genesis. At the suggestion of these organizations, the research was linked to an action of the popular campaign ‘Periferia Viva’, a course for Popular Health Agents offered in the same territories as the research, where these organizations were already operating. This experience report aims to share challenges and strengths of the constitutive process of this investigation, which integrated activists, health professionals, and residents of benefiting communities as popular researchers, recognizing their condition as subjects in knowledge production.

Life sciences teachers’ integration of indigenous knowledge: A vision for making science classrooms culturally responsive

This article presents findings from a qualitative study exploring factors influencing life sciences teachers’ integration of indigenous knowledge (IK) across various topics in grades 10-12, as mandated by the curriculum and assessment policy statement in South Africa. Despite this mandate aiming to enhance accessibility and comprehension, many teachers struggle to integrate IK meaningfully. Through in-depth interviews and lesson observations with five teachers in Gauteng Province, the study reveals challenges such as inadequate training, limited support structures, and negative attitudes towards IK. Observations highlight deficiencies in pedagogical content knowledge related to IK integration. The study suggests intensified teacher training and future research focusing on textbook content and leveraging information and communication technologies to digitize IK and make its integration more meaningful and interesting. This will enhance educational experiences for both the teachers and learners in life sciences classrooms.

Placenta accreta spectrum in the second trimester: a clinical conundrum in procedural abortion care

Given the limitations in perioperative management strategies available at freestanding abortion clinics, abortion providers must commonly discern which patients are too complicated for procedural abortions at their center and must be referred for a hospital-based abortion. The need to transition from freestanding clinics to hospital-based abortion care can lead to delays in completing an abortion and significant social, economic, and psychological repercussions for the pregnant individual. One significant clinical problem that exemplifies the issue of who can be safely taken care of at a freestanding abortion clinic is when the placenta accreta spectrum is suspected. Placenta accreta spectrum is one of the major contributors to maternal morbidity and mortality in the United States, requiring coordinated multidisciplinary management to ensure the safest outcome for the pregnant individual. In this Clinical Opinion, we review the literature focused on identifying individuals at risk for placenta accreta spectrum >14+0 weeks gestation, delineate an algorithm to improve the frequency of timely referrals to hospital-based abortion providers, and propose next steps for future training goals and research on placenta accreta spectrum in the second trimester between complex family planning and maternal-fetal medicine subspecialists.

A training protocol compliance of 13% was observed in a research study of clinical research professionals

ObjectiveWe attempted to conduct a randomized controlled trial of three different informed consent training formats to evaluate their effectiveness. We recruited 503 clinical research professionals, who received $50 for participation. Incidental findings showed unexpectedly low rates of compliance with completing the study training protocols, resulting in insufficient statistical power to test our original hypotheses. In this report, we conducted a secondary analysis of the data in which we characterize and evaluate the observed low compliance. This involved using literature on average reading times, speed-reading times, and video play speeds to calculate the timeframes required to complete the three training formats.ResultsOnly 13% of participants completed the training in a reasonable timeframe. Furthermore, only 46% of participants completed the training in the minimum possible timeframe. These findings lead us to ask whether online research training is effective, since no training can be effective if participants do not actually complete the training. Given extensive requirements for educational training among clinical research professionals, we feel the burden of proof is on training programs to demonstrate that they have positive effects.

N of 1: Optimizing Methodology for the Detection of Individual Response Variation in Resistance Training.

Most resistance training research focuses on inference from average intervention effects from observed group-level change scores (i.e., mean change of group A vs group B). However, many practitioners are more interested in training responses (i.e., causal effects of an intervention) on the individual level (i.e., causal effect of intervention A vs intervention B for individual X). To properly examine individual response variation, multiple confounding sources of variation (e.g., random sampling variability, measurement error, biological variability) must be addressed. Novel study designs where participants complete both interventions and at least one intervention twice can be leveraged to account for these sources of variation (i.e., n of 1 trials). Specifically, the appropriate statistical methods can separate variability into the signal (i.e., participant-by-training interaction) versus the noise (i.e., within-participant variance). This distinction can allow researchers to detect evidence of individual response variation. If evidence of individual response variation exists, researchers can explore predictors of the more favorable intervention, potentially improving exercise prescription. This review outlines the methodology necessary to explore individual response variation to resistance training, predict favorable interventions, and the limitations thereof.

Enhancing undergraduate education and research in aging to eliminate health disparities (ENGAGED) – A pipeline program to advance diversity in aging research

ABSTRACT The Enhancing Undergraduate Education and Research in Aging to Eliminate Health Disparities (ENGAGED) program takes advantage of the broad, multidisciplinary research established in the area of aging at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and its partner institutions, Wake Forest University and Winston-Salem State University. The ENGAGED program is designed to provide undergraduate students who are underrepresented in the biomedical sciences an opportunity to participate in educational and research training in aging and health disparities. Funded since August 2019, ENGAGED has provided 73 academic year internships and 46 summer internships, with another 8 internships starting in Fall 2023. A total of 61 students (67% female, 64% African American, 21% Hispanic) have participated in the ENGAGED program, reflecting the fact that 49% participate in more than one session or program offering. To date, 38 of the ENGAGED trainees have graduated (100% with a science, technology, engineering, or math degree), 84% of whom are working or pursuing advanced degrees in the biomedical sciences. Given the unique strengths, existing infrastructure, and long-standing collaborations among the partner institutions, the ENGAGED program is helping advance diversity in aging and health disparities research by creating a pipeline for well-trained underrepresented students interested in biomedical research careers.

Midwifery and nursing honours programs in Australia and New Zealand: A scoping review of contemporary challenges and opportunities

ProblemContemporary resources that identify the challenges and experiences of Midwifery and Nursing honours students and providers within Australia and New Zealand are lacking. BackgroundThe establishment and development of accredited, tertiary education for Midwifery and Nursing has enhanced professionalism and opportunity. However, the progression from registration pathway programs to Higher Degrees by Research remain limited. AimTo undertake a scoping review of Australian and New Zealand honours programs and synthesise student and provider perspectives. MethodsA scoping review was undertaken. Publicly available grey literature and relevant database searched. English language, peer-reviewed publications were identified from the past 10-years. FindingsWithin Australia, 16 universities, and 2 in New Zealand, offer a Midwifery and/or Nursing honours program. Within Australia, the majority of programs were offered in both Midwifery and Nursing streams, however only Nursing in New Zealand. Four studies met inclusion criteria and described strengths and challenges of the current offerings. DiscussionChallenges included: logistical issues related to low/decreasing enrolments and resource. Students identified burdens associated with student driven research and balancing the multiple demands of clinical roles. Opportunities were seen in terms of providers professional interactions between academic and clinical sites. Students viewed honours programs as an opportunity to actively partake in research and determine their commitment to further research training including Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). ConclusionProgressing the professional status of both Midwifery and Nursing is based on discrete professional research and evidence. Honours programs provide a research focused degree to prepare nurses and midwives, but challenges are present.

Symposium 2: The potential for Networked Learning in Environmental Assessment teaching in Sweden

This paper explores the current teaching of Environmental assessment (EA) in Sweden. EA processes aim at identifying the potential advantages and disadvantages of a proposed action mainly applied in physical landuse planning and for the approval of projects. EA not achieving best practice has been an issue within research for a long period of time. At the same time, the competence requirements on EA practitioners are very high. Recent court verdicts have raised a concern about the competence status among Swedish practitioners in the field of EA. The aim of this paper is to explore and analyse the current teaching in EA in Sweden in order to develop this field through influence from other disciplines, in this case Network Learning (NL). The paper builds on two different analyses. The first being an analysis of Swedish EA courses. The second being a comparison of the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) Best Practice Principles for Teaching, and the Design dimensions for NL. The analysis shows that most of the courses are leaning more towards practical training than integration of research contribution and research training. This means that there is a risk that the students will leave the university with a low absorptive capacity. The analysis has also identified that vital competences are lacking in current teaching. These are the awareness of EA being an interdisciplinary process and integrative and systems thinking. This despite, the ability to synthesize information from different sources to develop a holistic understanding is central to EA practise. The comparison with the design dimensions for NL experiences shows a clear correlation with the category pedagogy of the IAIA Principles an indirect correlation with content and skills. The social dimension in NL is not visible in the analysed course syllabuses, and notions of conflict management and reflective practice are weak. The backbone of EA teaching is the same in all countries and there are good opportunities, with technology, to build international teaching networks. This would enable more knowledge sharing in larger teaching communities in the field of EA teaching. Therefore, network learning offers a potential for EA teaching, bridging the gap between theory and practice.