The USF Health College of Nursing is expanding its educational reach through new collaborations with two universities in Sicily.

The USF nursing school recently signed general agreements of understanding (GAUs) with nursing programs at the Kore University of Enna and the University of Catania, providing greater opportunity for global exchanges for faculty and students for training, internships, research endeavors and professional development.

Rector Francesco Priolo, Head of the University of Catania, and Dr. Usha Menon, dean of the USF Health College of Nursing, signed the first memo of understanding between University Catania and USF.

Plans to expand USF Health’s reach with both Kore and Catania were developed earlier this year and were more formalized in September when Usha Menon, PhD, RN, FAAN, senior associate vice president for USF Health and dean of the USF Health College of Nursing, among other faculty, traveled to tour the schools, hospitals and clinical facilities, and research laboratories, and GAUs between USF and each of the universities were signed.

In addition, College of Nursing Professor, Barbara Smith, RN, PhD, FACSM, FAAN and Associate Professor, Jennifer Kue, PhD conducted classes for the Kore students during this trip, an expansion of the online courses taught last January.

This trip was supported by a generous contribution from Rosemary and Douglas Ferdinand.

The new collaborative affiliations form the foundation for more formal contracts that aim to nurture the education and research missions for the institutions, including establishing visits and exchanges of faculty, scholars, and administrators in specific areas of education, practice, and research; exchange of undergraduate and/or graduate students; fostering the development of research collaborations, lectures, symposia and potential training projects for specific areas of interest between faculty; exploring topics for joint proposals for international funding; and initiating discussion for cooperative development of courses and academic programs.

Enhancing academic programs globally is an on-going effort across USF, including USF Health Nursing, Medicine, Public Health.

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