Global Injury and Violence Prevention Summer School
The iCREATE Summer School 2024 is designed to provide students with the background and skills necessary to design, implement, and evaluate public health intervention programs focusing on violence and injury prevention and control. This week-long program in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, is designed as a workshop-based course in partnership with the Department of Public Health. Participants will engage in panels, presentations, workshops, and site visits to gain hands-on experience. The course emphasizes a professional introduction to violence and injury prevention, encouraging students to attend social networking and cultural events on select days. All coursework is conducted in English.
The 2024 dates are June 17-22, 2024. Students are advised to leave 1-2 days to travel to Romania. It is encouraged to schedule the departures between June 22-23rd.
Students will be able to develop the following professional competencies:
- Understand both the basic standards of violence and injury prevention and how these issues can be either minimized or avoided completely;
- Understand how to measure, collect, and analyze data in the injuries and violence domain;
- Develop public health programs and strategies responsive to these specific issues in diverse communities with diverse cultural values and traditions;
- Differentiate among goals, measurable objectives, activities, and expected outcomes, appropriate indicators and data collection methods for a public health intervention program;
- Differentiate between the purposes of formative, process, and outcome evaluation and explain how their findings can be used;
- Conduct literature review and apply professional, scientific literature (e.g. epidemiologic data, behavior change theory) and the conceptual models in program planning, implementation and evaluation to have an evidence-based approach;
- Describe steps and procedures for the planning, implementation and evaluation of public health programs, policies and interventions;
- Explain the contribution of logic models and other planning tools in program development, implementation, and evaluation;
- Identify critical stakeholders for the planning, implementation and evaluation of public health intervention programs.
- Stimulate change related to injury and/or violence prevention through policy, enforcement, advocacy, and education.
Students will be taught interactively and will have the opportunity to develop, adapt and practice skills in program design, program implementation and evaluation through in-class activities and case studies. All students will receive a certificate of completion at the conclusion of the course.
Course Faculty and Leadership
This program is being conducted in tandem with iCREATE: Increasing Capacity for Injury Research in Eastern Europe, lead by Dr. Cara Hamann, Epidemiology. This NIH-funded project offers public health research training to LMIC partners in Eastern Europe. The University of Iowa students will be joined in class by public health and medical clinicians from Romania, Moldova, Armenia and Georgia.
Workshops during the training course will be taught by a number of Injury and Violence Prevention experts working on the iCREATE project from Romania, U.S.A., Armenia, Georgia and the Republic of Moldova.
About Cluj-Napoca, Romania
This program will be offered downtown Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Cluj-Napoca is a moderately sized city located in the Apuseni Mountains and is considered the unofficial capital of Transylvania.
The University of Iowa partners with Babes-Bolyai University (UBB), Romania’s largest university, for various global student experiences. While in Cluj-Napoca, students’ accommodations will be in dorms provided by UBB, in the same building where the program will take place. Students will easily access the UBB facilities and the downtown area. More information on UBB.
On June 14-23, 2024, the Transilvania International Film Festival (TIFF), the biggest international film festival in Romania, will take place in Cluj-Napoca. Open to the general public as well as industry professionals, the Transilvania International Film Festival shows over 250 films and its programme includes cine-concerts, concerts, as well as art exhibitions and meeting opportunities between filmmakers and the Romanian audiences. Since 2021, thanks to Transilvania IFF, Cluj-Napoca is part of the UNESCO City of Film network.
Participant Eligibility
Students currently enrolled at the UI College of Public Health are eligible to apply. The academic level of this course is appropriate for graduate students and select upper-level undergraduate students. All students with an interest in Injury and Violence Prevention and/or global public health are encouraged to apply.
- Students must have a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA.
- Students must be able to obtain a passport and the appropriate visa documentation, if needed.
- Students must be in good academic and disciplinary standing.
- Undergraduate students are required to submit a reference from their primary academic advisor.
- Students are NOT required to have previous international experience.
- An entry visa is NOT required for U.S. citizens, but may be necessary for non-U.S. citizens (depending on country of citizenship).
Program Costs and Fees
The total cost of participation is estimated to be around $2,800.00. An itemized budget is below. Please note that many of these costs are estimates and subject to change.
| Airfare | Roundtrip from Cedar Rapids to Cluj-Napoca, Romania | $1800.00 USD |
| Program Registration Fee | $600.00 USD | |
| Housing Accommodations | On-campus dormitories at $19/night for 8 nights* | $150.00 USD |
| Estimated Living Expenses | Food, toiletries, etc at $30/day | $250.00 USD |
| TOTAL | $2800.00 USD | |
| Optional: UI Tuition | Summer term, 1 s.h. | $1000.00 USD |
All dormitory rooms will be 2-person occupancy; students will share a room with another US student attending the course. *Limited rooms can be offered if accommodation cannot be included in this price. Contact workshop coordinators if other options are required.
The above budget does not include expenses that some students may need to cover, such as a new passport, travel vaccines, and other necessities. If students would like to receive course credit for their participation, they will be required to pay the College of Public Health fee for 1 s.h. during the summer term.
Students who would like funding support are encouraged to apply for the Global Public Health Student Travel Grant.
Apply for the Workshop
All students are required to complete an online application. The deadline to apply for the program is March 15, 2024.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Students will be selected based on stated interest in injury and violence prevention and academic and disciplinary standing. Due to capacity restrictions, seating in this course is limited and not all qualified students may be selected.
Applicants will be informed of their admission within 2 weeks of submitting their application. Following the admission to the program, University of Iowa students will have until April 19 to confirm their enrollment, at which time all funding and scholarships should be finalized.
UI College of Public Health Students are required to meet with the Global Public Health Coordinator. To set-up an appointment, go to MyUI > Advising Appointments > College Offices/Public Health > Global Public Health
Questions?
All questions regarding course content, application process, cost of the program, or other concerns should be directed to Diana Nemes at diana.nemes@ubbcluj.ro.
Questions about UI College of Public Health student participation should be directed to Sophie Switzer, Global Public Health Coordinator, at sophie-switzer@uiowa.edu.