Sunway and Harvard Aim to Improve Healthcare Standard in Asia Pacific through Healthcare Leadership Programme

Sunway University, Sunway Medical Centre and Harvard Medical School jointly organised the inaugural Harvard Medical School Southeast Asia Leadership (HMS-SEAL) programme, a one-year healthcare certificate programme to provide world-class training for healthcare leaders and working professionals throughout the Asia Pacific region.

A total of 37 participants of healthcare professionals and leaders from 9 countries in the region attended the programme.

The programme curriculum is comprised of three residential workshops in Sunway City, Malaysia and Boston, United States, pre-recorded lectures and interactive webinars focused on relevant and complementary topics. Each residential workshop runs over a four-day period and it focuses on hands-on skill development utilising practical exercises and case-based material in management strategy, building effective teams, quality improvement and organisational development.

Group photo of the students, faculty members of HMS-SEAL and management team of Sunway University and Sunway Medical Centre during the welcoming dinner. Sitting from left: Professor Peh Suat Cheng; Professor Andrew Walker, President and Pro Vice-Chancellor (Interim)of Monash University Malaysia; Dr Elizabeth Lee, Senior Executive Director of Sunway Education Group and Sunway University; Professor Graeme Wilkinson, Vice-Chancellor of Sunway University; Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah AO; Datuk Dr Noor Hisham bin Abdullah, Director General of Health, Ministry of Health; Dr Ajay Singh, HMS-SEAL Programme Director; Lau Beng Long, Managing Director, Sunway Group Healthcare Services; Dr Melvyn Menezes, Dr Robert Crone and Dr Li Zhou from HMS.

Formed through a tripartite agreement back in 2016, the programme aimed to help healthcare leaders and frontline clinicians sharpen their skills on their quest to ensure the safest, most appropriate and highest quality standards of care in an increasingly complex healthcare ecosystem. According to Professor Peh Suat Cheng, Director of the Sunway Institute for Healthcare Development (SIHD) at Sunway University, “The Institute is aware and sensitive to the advancement of science and technologies that can enhance the care of patients, and understanding of diseases. The latter is to enable better results in treatment and disease prevention. We strongly encourage collaborations with well-established and world renown universities and medical schools in doing translational research, as well as in training of healthcare personnel. The Institute is proud to champion this.”

Besides aiming to improve healthcare development in Malaysia and the region, Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah AO, Chancellor of Sunway University, Founder and Trustee of Jeffrey Cheah Foundation (JCF), Founder and Chairman of Sunway Group said, “Sunway also seek to provide platforms that enhance and enrich healthcare standards in Southeast Asia through training and education.”

Participants and faculty members of HMS-SEAL visited Sunway Medical Centre.

The partnership with Harvard and other world-class institutions to host programmes such as HMS-SEAL further reinforce Sunway’s commitment to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. “We are well aware that the realisation of these goals is not the sole responsibility of governments. It requires the commitment of all sectors of society, including the private sector, academia, civil society groups and of course, every single individual. At Sunway, we are firmly committed to doing our bit towards this end,” Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah said during the welcome dinner for the programme.

The HMS-SEAL programme is developed to benefit clinicians who are transitioning or seeking to transition into administrative management or executive roles. A programme opened to medical and non-medical personnel and staff who aspire to become directors, executives and administrators, they could also find tremendous value in the knowledge and skills taught in the programme.

The new intake for HMS-SEAL programme will commence on 6th to 9th March 2018 at Sunway University. For more information about the programme and scholarship application, please visit https://hms.harvard.edu/departments/southeast-asia-healthcare-leadership-program/admissions