Report of an international partnership to develop a new entry-level program and collaborative research agendas (occupational therapy) between Poland and the US

In 2009, the government of Poland to committed to undertake the development of the first four educational programs for occupational therapy in Poland in collaboration with the support from European Network of Occupational Therapy in Higher Education (ENOTHE; www.eu.enothe). This was a significant undertaking in terms of faculty development and curriculum conceptualization designed to meet the unique educational, health and economic context in Poland that had significant need for occupational therapy practitioners in the county to meet the health needs of their citizens particularly related to quality of life in relation to chronic disease and disability to ensure productive childhood and aging. This report the collaborative educational program development effort between one of the four selected universities, the Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw (UPE-W) and the European Network of Occupational Therapy in Higher Education (ENOTHE; www.eu.enothe). The background that led to this collaboration is outlined including the drivers for the preparation of qualified faculty with occupational therapy background. The ENOTHE Practicum Objective was created to have at least one lead faculty from each of the Polish universities complete an educational practicum. In this case study, the visiting faculty member chose to come to the United States to complete a combined practica that would support entry-level curricular development and assist the newly trained faculty to engage in occupational therapy research as required by the academic institution and necessary for the development of occupational therapy within the Polish environment. The practica faculty provides the rationale for designing this practica and its outcomes to gather knowledge from a renown curriculum that specializes in developing practice-scholars at Duquesne University and a benchmark research faculty and agenda at University of Illinois at Chicago, both also selected because of individuals engaged in international leadership activities. Like the practica, the Capstone Conference is described as a model to further the international exchange. The value of having the experienced international faculty consult onsite with UPE-W academic leadership and faculty provided expanded understanding and strategic conferencing between UPE-W and visiting faculty regarding curriculum development and development of scholarly agenda, individually and collaboratively