Fifteen academics from the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS), School of Nursing (SN), and School of Medicine (SM) completed the onshore component of the Australia Awards Fellowship, “Development of Health Profession Education Capacity in the Maldives,” hosted by Flinders University, Australia, from 30 June to 3 July 2025.

The fellowship featured an intensive programme focused on contemporary approaches to educational change and the integration of interprofessional learning in Health Professions Education (HPE). The programme provided participants with opportunities to explore innovative approaches to teaching and learning and consider how these can be adapted to the Maldivian higher education context.

As part of the fellowship, participants received one-year memberships with the Australian and New Zealand Association for Health Professional Educators (ANZAHPE) and attended the ANZAHPE annual conference in Perth. This provided further opportunities to engage with international health professions educators and explore best practices and approaches to interprofessional collaboration in HPE.

FHS participants included Aminath Samha, Mariyam Neerish, Zeenath Shakir, Afaa Mohamed, and Mariyam Ifshan Ahmed, alongside colleagues from other departments across MNU.

The fellowship has also supported participants in translating their learning into potential HPE initiatives. Teams have begun developing projects focused on educational change, strengthening interprofessional education, and establishing a community of practice within MNU to support continued collaboration and knowledge sharing.

The initiative contributes to SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) through health workforce development, SDG 4 (Quality Education) through strengthening educational capacity, SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) through professional development, and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) through international and cross-faculty collaboration.