Dr. Hamel is a passionate proponent of international education at our institution and has developed several initiatives involving academic institutions in Norway, Belgium, and the Caribbean (FWI) to enhance the international component of higher education.
A) TRONDBUSS is a US-Norway bilateral educational program established with the Norwegian Institute of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim, Norway that has served 65 students since its inception in 2013. The two arms of TRONDBUSS are NORUS (Norway to the US) and USNOR (US to Norway). TRONDBUSS has offered stateside mobility opportunities to seventeen NORUS students obtaining a BS of Biomedical Laboratory Sciences (3 months) and two NORUS students enrolled in the MS of Molecular Medicine (10 months) at NTNU.
With a focus on hands-on research in the educational experience, NORUS students devote time to carrying out in-lab hypothesis-driven experiments within a well-defined research question. Students disseminate the results in the form of a written report and an oral defense, and credit is earned toward their final degree at NTNU. Thirty-nine USNOR students have participated in a 5-week study abroad program (“Introduction to Biomedical Laboratory Sciences”) entirely taught at NTNU during the summers of 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022. The class is divided into four modules: fundamentals of laboratory techniques, evaluation of the methods of analysis, medical microbiology (since 2022), and an introduction to genome sequencing in clinical practice with a particular focus on the practical and ethical challenges arising from the use of this technique in the medical diagnosis of patients.
The study program offers a variety of course work, including hands-on work at the bench, visiting medical facilities, and direct interaction with healthcare professionals (e.g., genetic counselors and doctors) at the St. Olav’s hospital in Trondheim. Upon completion of the program in Norway, USNOR students earn 3 credits at OSU. During the COVID-19 pandemic, seven OSU students enrolled in an on-line class (Molecular Medicine) taught at NTNU. Upon completion of the class, participants earn 3 credit hours at OSU toward an undergraduate degree in the Biological Sciences. Since fall 2022, TRONDBUSS offers individual and paid research experiences (3 months) to OSU undergraduates and post-baccalaureates in the biological sciences. Click here for a more detailed summary of the TRONDBUSS program. Access a more detailed overview of TRONDBUSS, informative videos, and more here!
Partnership with University of Liège (ULG) in Belgium and the development of the French West Indies (FWI) as a study abroad destination are Dr. Hamel’s most recent efforts to enrich international education at OSU. Both endeavors were inspired by the success of the TRONDBUSS program.
B) The academic partnership with ULG is a natural extension of a long-standing research collaboration between Dr. Hamel and Dr. Claire Remacle and the recent placement of an OSU undergraduate student for a one-year paid research internship in the Remacle laboratory. The partnership with ULG aims to foster research internships for students at both institutions. One of the strengths of this partnership resides in the fact that Erasmus funds allocated to ULG will support research internships at OSU for ULG master students in the biological sciences.
C) The inclusion of the Université des Antilles (UdA, FWI) as a partner to serve students in STEM is particularly exciting to Dr. Hamel because he was raised in the FWI and received training in the sciences at an agricultural research station as an undergraduate. Additional information on the partnership with UdA is coming soon! Please feel free to contact Patrice with any questions.