Professor Ronald M. Harden, Britain, has been awarded the 2006 Karolinska Institutet prize for research into the field of medical pedagogics. This is the second time that the 50,000 Euro prize has been awarded, in an effort to elevate the long term quality of medical education in Sweden and abroad.
Professor Ronald M. Harden has been awarded the prize in recognition of his innovations in the field of medical teaching. His ideas and researches into examinations, the assessment of medical competence and course design has had a profound impact on medical education the world over.
"What's interesting about Professor Harden's pedagogical methods is his highly effective way of combining theory and practice," says Vivi-Anne Sundqvist, Dean of Higher Education at Karolinska Institutet. "It is very much in harmony with the Swedish way of looking at teaching methodology in the medical field, which involves a great deal of clinical training."
Professor Harden studied medicine at Glasgow and worked as an endocrinologist before moving full time into education. He is currently the Director of Education at the International Virtual Medical School (IVIMEDS) in Scotland. He is also the General Secretary of the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE).
The Karolinska Institutet prize for research into medical pedagogics was first awarded in 2004. The prize was set up and is financed by the Gunnar Höglund and Anna-Stina Malmborg foundation.
"We'll all be patients sooner or later," says Professor Emeritus Gunnar Höglund at Karolinska Institutet's Centre of Education and Learning. "Medical education is fundamental to the competence of those who look after us. The idea of the prize is to draw attention to just how important medical training is, and to encourage, and honour, researchers who help to improve its quality."
The announcement of this year's prize winner was made at the AMEE conference in Genua at the weekend. An open lecture by Professor Harden will be held in connection with the conferment, which is scheduled for early November.
For further information, please contact:
Vivi-Anne Sundqvist, Dean of Higher Education
Phone: +46-8-524 860 78
E-mail: vivi-anne.sundqvist@ki.se
Kirsti Lonka, awards committee chairman
Phone: +358 50 5249147
E-mail: kirsti.lonka@ki.se