Strengthening public health education and humanitarian response through academic volunteerism
Abstract Introduction Volunteers are an integral part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent (RCRC) Movement, with over 16 million people actively contributing to humanitarian action worldwide. Academic volunteerism within the Movement includes contributions from students, volunteers and pr...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2025-01-01
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| Series: | BMC Medical Education |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-06676-z |
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| author | Faiza Rab Mekdes Assefa Salim Sohani Ilja Ormel Farwa Arshad Ahmad Firas Khalid |
| author_facet | Faiza Rab Mekdes Assefa Salim Sohani Ilja Ormel Farwa Arshad Ahmad Firas Khalid |
| author_sort | Faiza Rab |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Introduction Volunteers are an integral part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent (RCRC) Movement, with over 16 million people actively contributing to humanitarian action worldwide. Academic volunteerism within the Movement includes contributions from students, volunteers and professionals from academic institutions who offer their time and expertise. In this study we aimed to understand the process of embedding academic volunteers in humanitarian organizations such as the Canadian Red Cross (CRC) and assess the impact of their activities within the realm of public health education. Methods We used a qualitative case study design with an instrumental approach. All documents related to academic volunteers within the CRC database from September 2018 to August 2023 were gathered and reviewed. Data related to the processes around engaging with volunteers, timelines, outcomes and feedback surveys from students and staff members were extracted and a content analysis was conducted. A return-on-investment analysis (ROI) was conducted to assess the financial impact of engaging academic volunteers. Results A total of 68 academic volunteers were engaged with CRC, including unpaid or partially paid master’s students, doctoral and postdoctoral fellows, and student volunteers. The collaboration between CRC and academic volunteers contributed to educational enrichment, professional development, knowledge transfer, operational efficiency, and talent pool expansion. Results from a survey on academic volunteerism further highlighted benefits such as maintaining project schedules, promoting diversity, and amplifying the Movement’s voice on important matters. The return on investment for unpaid academic volunteers and Masters students was 70%. A five-fold increase was measured for partially paid academic volunteers resulting in 486% ROI. Discussion Academic volunteerism yields mutual benefits for students, academic researchers, and humanitarian organizations. These volunteers enhance operational efficiency and fortify resilience, fostering adaptability amid challenges. They play a crucial role in strengthening evidence-based programming within organizations like CRC and bolstering their capacity to address emerging health issues. These volunteers constitute a valuable talent pool, bringing organizational knowledge and experience to the table. They provide critical support for scaling up programs, especially during emergency situations, offering innovative solutions to address human resource shortages driven by funding constraints. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0b08241f9c654e418d31311e890324fe |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1472-6920 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Medical Education |
| spelling | doaj-art-0b08241f9c654e418d31311e890324fe2025-01-26T12:39:08ZengBMCBMC Medical Education1472-69202025-01-0125111310.1186/s12909-025-06676-zStrengthening public health education and humanitarian response through academic volunteerismFaiza Rab0Mekdes Assefa1Salim Sohani2Ilja Ormel3Farwa Arshad4Ahmad Firas Khalid5Global Health and Research - Canadian Red CrossGlobal Health and Research - Canadian Red CrossGlobal Health and Research - Canadian Red CrossGlobal Health and Research - Canadian Red CrossYork UniversityCanadian Institute of Health Research- Health Systems Impact Fellow, Canadian Red CrossAbstract Introduction Volunteers are an integral part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent (RCRC) Movement, with over 16 million people actively contributing to humanitarian action worldwide. Academic volunteerism within the Movement includes contributions from students, volunteers and professionals from academic institutions who offer their time and expertise. In this study we aimed to understand the process of embedding academic volunteers in humanitarian organizations such as the Canadian Red Cross (CRC) and assess the impact of their activities within the realm of public health education. Methods We used a qualitative case study design with an instrumental approach. All documents related to academic volunteers within the CRC database from September 2018 to August 2023 were gathered and reviewed. Data related to the processes around engaging with volunteers, timelines, outcomes and feedback surveys from students and staff members were extracted and a content analysis was conducted. A return-on-investment analysis (ROI) was conducted to assess the financial impact of engaging academic volunteers. Results A total of 68 academic volunteers were engaged with CRC, including unpaid or partially paid master’s students, doctoral and postdoctoral fellows, and student volunteers. The collaboration between CRC and academic volunteers contributed to educational enrichment, professional development, knowledge transfer, operational efficiency, and talent pool expansion. Results from a survey on academic volunteerism further highlighted benefits such as maintaining project schedules, promoting diversity, and amplifying the Movement’s voice on important matters. The return on investment for unpaid academic volunteers and Masters students was 70%. A five-fold increase was measured for partially paid academic volunteers resulting in 486% ROI. Discussion Academic volunteerism yields mutual benefits for students, academic researchers, and humanitarian organizations. These volunteers enhance operational efficiency and fortify resilience, fostering adaptability amid challenges. They play a crucial role in strengthening evidence-based programming within organizations like CRC and bolstering their capacity to address emerging health issues. These volunteers constitute a valuable talent pool, bringing organizational knowledge and experience to the table. They provide critical support for scaling up programs, especially during emergency situations, offering innovative solutions to address human resource shortages driven by funding constraints.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-06676-zAcademic volunteerismHumanitarian workPublic health education |
| spellingShingle | Faiza Rab Mekdes Assefa Salim Sohani Ilja Ormel Farwa Arshad Ahmad Firas Khalid Strengthening public health education and humanitarian response through academic volunteerism BMC Medical Education Academic volunteerism Humanitarian work Public health education |
| title | Strengthening public health education and humanitarian response through academic volunteerism |
| title_full | Strengthening public health education and humanitarian response through academic volunteerism |
| title_fullStr | Strengthening public health education and humanitarian response through academic volunteerism |
| title_full_unstemmed | Strengthening public health education and humanitarian response through academic volunteerism |
| title_short | Strengthening public health education and humanitarian response through academic volunteerism |
| title_sort | strengthening public health education and humanitarian response through academic volunteerism |
| topic | Academic volunteerism Humanitarian work Public health education |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-06676-z |
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