Successful cooperation with the PUCMM in the Dominican Republic
For five years, Prof. Peter König and Ulrike Lindwedel from Furtwangen University's Institute of Man, Technology and Participation (IMTT) have enjoyed a close and successful partnership with the Faculty of Health Sciences at the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM) in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic. This partnership is characterised by intensive scientific exchange, reciprocal visits and forward-looking projects.
A key result of this collaboration is the jointly developed Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on intercultural and interprofessional care for people with dementia. The course, which is funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), now connects over 170 students from both countries and creates an innovative learning space that brings together cultural and professional perspectives. The course also forms the basis for the current follow-up project DemCareDom Plus, in which further practical content is being developed and new impetus is being provided for patient-centered, international care.
In December 2024, the project partners Mary-Anne Butler Ransohoff and Yokasta Germosen Almonte were welcomed to Furtwangen − an inspiring visit with intensive workshops, during which new content for the MOOC update was developed, among other things. The return visit by Peter König and Ulrike Lindwedel to the PUCMM in March 2025 once again offered numerous opportunities for professional exchange and the further development of joint ideas.
