Nursing school partnership with Mahidol University in Thailand to offer cross-cultural education

For doctoral nursing students, learning doesn’t have to be confined to the classroom—or even the country. A new partnership between Case Western Reserve University Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing and Mahidol University’s Ramathibodi School of Nursing (MURA) in Thailand creates an opportunity for students to expand their education through study, research and collaboration in Cleveland.

Through the partnership, students enrolled in MURA’s BSN-PhD program may apply for admission to CWRU’s nursing certificate program. Accepted students spend their second year of doctoral study at Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing and complete three semesters in Cleveland. Courses are integrated into students’ MURA curriculum, allowing them to gain advanced academic experience while remaining enrolled at the Thai university.

Students in the program complete 21 credit hours in subjects including molecular methods in clinical research, the biological implications of social determinants of health, advanced statistics, and qualitative research and data science in healthcare. During their third semester, each student works one-on-one with a Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing scientist for a 180-hour research practicum, applying their developing skills to a focused research experience. 

In addition to coursework, students gain a broader perspective on nursing and healthcare. A year in the United States exposes students to different approaches to nursing practice, education, research and healthcare delivery, and provides opportunities to learn alongside American students. Those connections can grow into lasting professional relationships and cross-cultural collaborations.

The partnership builds on a long history of collaboration between the School of Nursing and MURA. The new program was sparked by MURA Professor Manee Arpanantikul, PhD, who envisioned an opportunity for students in MURA’s BSN-PhD in Nursing Science program. The initiative grew into a joint effort involving faculty and leaders from both institutions, including Arpanantikul and Poolsuk Janepanish Visudtibhan, director of MURA, along with Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Latina Brooks, PhD (CWR ’93, ’95; NUR ’98, ’02). Former Dean Carol Musil, PhD (NUR ’79, ’91), former Associate Dean for Global Affairs Mary Quinn Griffin, DNP (NUR ’93, 01) and former Interim PhD Program Director Jaclene Zauszniewski, PhD (NUR ’89, ’92), also helped launch the planning process. Today, the collaboration continues under Dean Ronald Hickman, PhD, RN (CWR ’00; NUR ’06, ’13; GRS ’08), Brooks, Associate Dean for Global Affairs Deborah Lindell, DNP (NUR ’03) and Susan Mazanec, current PhD program director.

Together, MURA and the School of Nursing are not only building an academic pathway, but also creating a global exchange of ideas, expertise and perspectives that can strengthen doctoral nursing education and advance research and health care across borders.