title: Innovation in global collaborations: from student placement to mutually beneficial exchanges.
abstract: Five years ago, an academic department in the United States and the Ann Sullivan Center of Peru (CASP) initiated an international partnership to foster research collaborations and reciprocal consultation, and to create an advanced clinical placement for occupational therapy doctoral students. CASP is a globally recognized hub for community-based research, demonstration and training for people with disabilities (most of whom are from low-income families). CASP has provided occupational therapy students and faculty with a rich cultural environment in which to learn and collaborate as well as opportunities for developing research collaborations. The purpose of this manuscript is to discuss an innovative model of international collaboration highlighting specific areas of exchange and reciprocal learning. First, we will describe the collaboration and CASP's rich learning opportunities. Second, we will discuss a model of collaboration that includes three main phases: planning and preparation, developing and sustaining the partnership, and evaluating and celebrating outcomes and benefits. We illustrate the partnership with a case example and describe exchanges between CASP and a local community agency with whom faculty have collaborated for 20 years. Finally, we discuss implications of our innovative model towards developing and sustaining global partnerships. .
authors: University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA. ysuarez@uic.edu
authors: Yolanda
authors: Y
authors: Suarez-Balcazar
authors: Joy
authors: J
authors: Hammel
authors: Liliana
authors: L
authors: Mayo
authors: Stephanie
authors: S
authors: Inwald
authors: Supriya
authors: S
authors: Sen
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003469:Culture; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D038622:Internationality; D009788:Occupational Therapy / Q000193:education*; D010568:Peru; D013334:Students; D014481:United States