The Faculty of Medicine, Udayana University (FK Unud), conducted a working visit to strengthen collaboration in the fields of research and explore opportunities for cooperation, particularly in the exchange of elective students and academic staff, in Boston, Massachusetts, the United States, on November 27-28, 2023.

Dean of FK Unud, Prof. Dr. dr. Komang Januartha Putra Pintih, M.Kes, accompanied by the Vice Dean for Student Affairs and Information, who is also the Principal Investigator for the Indonesia Travel Health Network (InaTravNet) research, met with Prof. Davidson Hamer, MD, who is the Principal Investigator, Surveillance Lead of the GeoSentinel Network, and also a Professor of Global Health and Medicine at Boston University School of Public Health and Chobanian & Avesidian School of Medicine. Prof. Ady presented the progress of InaTravNet research and the initial data analysis from the InaTravNet platform, receiving valuable input from Prof. Hamer for further development to enhance disease surveillance in travelers. Also present from Boston Medical Center was Prof. Elizabeth Barnett, MD, a professor in pediatric infectious disease and a researcher in travel and tropical medicine. Prof. Januartha discussed opportunities for the exchange of teaching staff, including inviting staff from Boston Medical School to become senior research fellows through the UNISERF scheme, and engaged in discussions about collaboration opportunities in the development of capacity in the field of travel medicine and research, especially related to infectious diseases and global health.

The working visit continued with an invitation to a lunch meeting from the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine (DGHSM), Harvard Medical School, led by the Chair of DGHSM, Prof. Vikram Patel, MBBS, Ph.D. During this occasion, discussions were held regarding various opportunities to enhance the capacity of faculty and student exchange, as well as research collaboration, particularly related to the role of medical anthropology in addressing global health issues. Present at this meeting from DGHSM were renowned medical anthropologists Prof. Byron Good, Prof. Mary-Jo Delvecchio Good, and mental health researcher Prof. Claudi Bockting, as well as Dr. I Made Subagiarta, MMSc, an alumnus of FK Unud who is also an alumnus of Harvard Medical School.

Activities at Harvard University were furthered with a visit to Dr. Lin H. Chen, MD, who is the Director of Mount Auburn Travel Medicine Center, Division of Infectious Diseases and Travel Medicine, Mount Auburn Hospital, and an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Lin Chen, a past president of the International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM) and a research partner of InaTravNet, provided an overview of the activities at the Travel Medicine Center, clinic visits, and various issues related to Travel Clinic management. During this opportunity, Prof. Ady also presented the preliminary results of the InaTravNet research and discussed opportunities for further development in the coming year.