Flinders University is leading efforts to connect innovation in aged care with Arab countries

Flinders University is at the forefront of an ambitious project aimed at forging stronger links between Australia and Arab countries in healthcare 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, aims to promote bilateral trade, investment, education and knowledge sharing, with a specific focus on digital healthcare. and elderly care technologies.

Led by Flinders University’s College of Business, Government and Law, the project builds on previous collaborations and initiatives supported by CAAR grants. It aims to address regulatory considerations, including Islamic law and Arab culture, while promoting innovation in healthcare and elderly care.

Dr. Madhan Balasubramanian, researcher and senior lecturer in healthcare 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 break down barriers, increase understanding and establish platforms for collaboration between institutions in Australia and the Arab world.

A key part 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, held 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 project outcomes, including academic publications and a networking platform, are intended to facilitate continued 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 and 17, to further efforts to drive innovations in knowledge transfer in the field to promote healthcare and elderly care across borders.