Udupi, Jul 7: The Manipal College of Nursing (MCON), Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), in collaboration with the University of New Brunswick (UNB), Canada, will host the Manipal International Conference on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in Health from July 7 to 9 at the Dr TMA Pai Auditorium, KMC, Manipal.

Conference theme and objectives

With the theme "Envisioning a Future of Global Collaboration for Education, Research, and Practice," the conference aims to bring together global leaders, educators, researchers, policymakers, and healthcare practitioners to explore strategies for advancing EDI in the health sector. Scientific paper and poster presentations will provide a platform for researchers, students, and practitioners to share their innovative work, evidence-based practices, and findings.

The conference is expected to foster dialogue, innovative research, and meaningful collaborations to address health disparities globally.

Pre-conference workshop

A pre-conference workshop on Mixed Methods Research will be held on July 7. This workshop is designed for healthcare professionals, researchers, academicians, and students interested in integrating qualitative and quantitative research approaches. Participants will learn about research design, integration strategies, joint displays, and practical data analysis. The facilitators include Dr Judith A Noronha (Professor and Dean, MCON, MAHE), Dr Preethy D’Souza (Senior Research Fellow, University College London, UK), and Dr Mahalakshmy T (Additional Professor, Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, JIPMER, Puducherry).

Inauguration

The formal inauguration will take place on July 8 at 10:00 AM. Dr M D Venkatesh, Vice Chancellor, MAHE, will be the chief guest, along with other national and international dignitaries, faculty, and delegates.

Plenary sessions and speakers

The main conference on July 8 and 9 will feature seven plenary sessions. Key presentations include:

• Oration lecture in memory of Late Dr Aparna Bhaduri on promoting inclusion and diversity in healthcare education, research and practice by Dr Anice George (Professor and Head, Research and Collaboration, MCON, MAHE)

• Empowering vulnerable and marginalised communities in healthcare education by Dr Seetharam MR (Advisor, Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement and Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Mysuru)

• Embracing cultural humility to address EDI in healthcare by Dr Marie Lina Excellent (Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina, USA)

• Cross-border innovation: connecting minds and transforming the future by Dr Martha Paynter (Assistant Professor, University of New Brunswick, Canada)

• Challenges in promoting equity and reducing disparities in healthcare by Dr Vina Vaswani (Director, Centre for Ethics, Yenepoya University, Mangaluru)

• Advocating policy and structural changes to achieve health equity by Dr Cherian Varghese (Director, Prasanna School of Public Health, MAHE)

• Oration lecture in memory of Late Prof P P Bhanumathi on inclusive leadership in healthcare by Dr Saibala M (Nursing Director, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi)

Key conference goals

The conference aims to foster international collaboration in nursing education, promote inclusive practices in healthcare delivery and policy, disseminate evidence-based strategies to address disparities, and engage early-career researchers and professionals in global networking.

Subthemes include:

• Embracing cultural humility

• Empowering vulnerable and marginalised communities

• Advocating policy and structural change

• Promoting inclusion and diversity

• Cross-border innovation for global transformation

Relevance to India and global impact

In a culturally, linguistically, and socioeconomically diverse country like India, promoting EDI is crucial for addressing healthcare disparities. The conference will explore how EDI principles can promote cultural sensitivity and competence in healthcare, support innovations in research and practice, uphold social justice, and demonstrate global health leadership.

Institutional background

Manipal College of Nursing (MCON), established in 1990, is a premier institution under MAHE. It offers undergraduate, postgraduate, nurse practitioner, PhD, and dual degree programs in collaboration with UNB, Canada. MCON is the first nursing college in India to be ISO 14001:2015 certified and was ranked number one in the World India-Higher Education Ranking 2023–2024.

The University of New Brunswick (UNB), founded in 1785, is Canada's first English-language university and one of North America's oldest public institutions. UNB offers graduate and undergraduate programs across 12 faculties and two campuses.

For more information, visit the conference website at https://conference.manipal.edu/MICEDI2025/