Flinders University is at the forefront of an ambitious project aimed at forging stronger ties between Australia and Arab nations in the field of health and aged care innovation.
The initiative, funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) through the Council for Australian-Arab Relations (CAAR) grant, seeks to promote bilateral trade, investment, education, and knowledge exchange, with a specific focus on digital health and aged care technologies.
Under the leadership of Flinders University’s College of Business, Government and Law, the project builds upon previous collaborations and initiatives supported by CAAR grants. It aims to address regulatory considerations, including Islamic law and Arab culture while fostering innovation in the health and aged care industry.
Dr Madhan Balasubramanian, a researcher and senior lecturer in Health Care Management at Flinders University, highlights the importance of improving health outcomes for older Arab populations through knowledge transfer and bilateral trade. The project aims to reduce barriers, enhance understanding, and establish platforms for collaboration between institutions in Australia and the Arab world.
“Due to the growing importance of healthcare and relevant industries in both regions, we intend to investigate possible areas of mutual interest between Australian industries in healthcare and the Arab world”
Dr Madhan Balasubramanian
A key component of the initiative is the Flinders MENA Symposium on “Innovations in Health and Aged Care Knowledge Transfer: Australian and Middle Eastern North African (MENA) Perspectives.” The symposium, hosted simultaneously in Adelaide and Cairo, featured keynote addresses and panel sessions with experts from various disciplines, including psychiatry, hospital management, and artificial intelligence.
Looking ahead, the project plans to host the second part of the international symposium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and Adelaide. The outcomes of the project, including academic publications and a networking platform, aim to facilitate ongoing collaboration and knowledge exchange in the MENA region.
In addition to the symposium, Flinders University’s College of Business, Government and Law will host the Asia Pacific Aged Care Hub (APACH) First International Policy Forum on May 16 – 17, furthering efforts to promote innovations in health and aged care knowledge transfer across borders.
