Document Type : Commentary

Authors

• EHSAN SHAMSI GOOSHKI ¹
• ATA POURABBASI ²
• HAMID AKBARI ³
• NIMA REZAEI ⁴
• ALI ARAB KHERADMAND ⁵
• ZAHRA KHEIRY ⁶
• NILOUFAR PEYKARI ⁷
• FATEREH MOMENI JAVID ⁸
• FIROUZEH HAJIPOUR ⁹
• BAGHER LARIJANI ¹⁰

¹ Medical Ethics and History of Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

² Diabetes Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

³ Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran

⁴ Research Center for Immuno deficiencies, Pediatrics Center of Excellence, Children’s Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

⁵ International Campus of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

⁶ Research & Development Committee, Deputy of Education, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran

⁷ Non-Communicable Diseases Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

⁸ The Academy of Medical Sciences of Iran, Tehran, Iran

⁹ The Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

¹⁰ Endocrinology & Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Introduction: Academic institutions are the most importantorganizations for implementation of internationalization policiesand practices for integrating an international, intercultural andglobal dimension in higher education system. Also, a globallyincreasing demand for higher education has been seen in the pasttwo decades so that the number of students enrolled in highereducation institutions in the worldwide nation-states has increaseddramatically. The National Plan of International Developmentof Medical Education was designed with the aim of identifyingavailable potentials in all the universities of medical sciences,encouraging the development of international standards ofmedical education, and planning for the utilization of the existingcapacity in Islamic republic of Iran.Methods: Authors have tried to review the several aspectsof international activities in higher education in the world anddescribe national experiences and main policies in globalization ofmedical education in Iran within implementation of the NationalPlan for Development and Innovation in Medical Education.Results: The findings of some global experiences providethe policy makers with clear directions in order to developinternationalization of higher education.Conclusion: The Program for International Development ofMedical Education was designed by the Deputy of Educationin the Ministry of Health and the effective implementationof this Program was so important for promotion of Iranianmedical education. But there were some challenges in thisregard; addressing them through inter-sectoral collaborationis one of the most important strategies for the development ofinternationalization of education in the field of medical sciences.Keywords: Medical education, Higher education, Innovation