The Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) already has a small but significant presence in many countries around the world through prospective students and post graduates, parents and friends of current students, alumni, past staff members, research collaborators and other networks of people working in the healthcare environment as researchers, educators or healthcare professionals.

The Special Interest Groups (SIG's) were established by the Faculty of Health Sciences with the vision of creating a “Global Healthcare Community” with the Faculty’s alumni across number strategic international locales. SIG groups in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand were established in 2006. The SIG structure has been designed to sit within the framework of existing UQ alumni associations.

SIG's aim to have a range of programs in place that will deepen the FHS geographic footprint by providing alumni with a sound network supported by a sustainable infrastructure, superior work placement opportunities, strategic links into influential health based organisations and international collaborative research and commercialisation initiatives. This period will also see the SIGs positioned and equipped to actively identify and engage prospective FHS students and post graduates and undertake fundraising programs.

The Faculty will be undertaking a number of activities in line with the objectives of creating a Global Healthcare Community in 2009. The Faculty will host a Workforce Health Conference in Singapore in July 2009 in alliance with 'SingHealth'. The Faculty, in association with the Thai SIG and Sirirraj Hospital in Bangkok, will host the Health Care Team Challenge in 2009. To learn about the Health Care Team Challenge, click here.

Please join us in creating a Global Healthcare Community.

Faculty of Health Sciences
Andrea Crane
Contact: a.crane@uq.edu.au

SIG Singapore
President – Professor Tay Sun Kuie
Secretary – Ms Reena Han Nianlin
Contact: nlrhan@yahoo.com.au

SIG Malaysia
President – Professor Mahani Mansor Clyde
Contact: mahani@pkrisc.cc.ukm.my

SIG Thailand
President – Dr Prasutr (Barry) Thawornchaisit
Contact: prasutt@yahoo.com