Global Virtual Faculty member since 2002, Richard Cranovsky has participated in a variety of courses ranging from The Global Challenge to graduate and doctoral courses in pharmaceutical management and nursing. Currently a senior independent research fellow for RC-Consulting in Switzerland, he previously served as the head of neuroradiology departments at teaching hospitals in Poland and Switzerland; medical director of the Swiss Institute of Public Health; and an expert in health technology assessment and quality of care for the Swiss Federal Health Authorities. A widely published author, Cranovsky also has contributed to various European health care organizations and initiatives, including activity as an expert for the Council of Europe’s Health Division. Born in Poland, he now is a Swiss citizen living in Epalinges, near Lausanne. For detailed biographical information, visit globallearning.fdu.edu.

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What attracted you to Fairleigh Dickinson’s Global Virtual Faculty program?
I first learned about Fairleigh Dickinson University from an article in The New York Times. When I explored the FDU Web site, I was excited to see a quotation from President J. Michael Adams’ inaugural address recognizing the Internet as a fundamental learning tool. I wanted to take this opportunity to learn new educational technology and to share my experience in specific international issues.

What issues and perspectives have you brought to FDU students?
I believe that my contributions as a physician (micro-level) aware of international health policy issues (macro-level) have been useful for each class. I have been able to use my knowledge from clinical medicine and health policy issues contributing to discussions on “universal questions.” I have also been challenged with questions and received interesting input that obliged me to update my own knowledge and revise my opinions. My most interesting experience was in a pharmaceuticals course focusing on vaccines and the threat of “bird-flu” [Topics in Current Developments, taught by Gerard Cleaves, clinical assistant professor of management]. We worked interactively to clarify several issues including benefits and risks of new vaccines, global role of the vaccine industry, contributions of European researchers to immunization technologies, ethical issues concerning vaccine testing and assessment of threat by “bird-influenza” virus. I was recently engaged with The Global Challenge course taught by Richard Ferguson [associate professor of accounting]. There was an interesting selection of key topics in the course. The instructor excellently managed the class, which was composed of motivated freshmen. I believe that I was in a position to answer their questions and make stimulating comments. I was also involved recently with a video workshop for a class on ethical issues in nursing.

Describe your interactions with students.
During the first period of my engagement, interactions via discussion board and e-mail exchanges were more frequent and the text longer. There are still friendly questions and answers, but now exchanged messages are shorter. It looks like the “SMS” (short message service) generation has replaced the older “letter and fax” generation. Most of the students are curious and apt to go to the “heart of the matter.” Also, they are less inhibited when exchanging opinions and arguments with their peers. The questions I have been asked include technical questions related to clinical medicine and epidemiology; questions on issues such as human rights, inequalities and poverty and dilemmas in utilization of scarce resources; and questions related to my experiences as a person who lived during World War II (witnessed the Holocaust), later lived under totalitarian regimes, then escaped to the democratic West, studied in the United States and is living now in small country with tradition of direct democracy located in the middle of the EU.

What is the value of global education?
Understanding the changing world and making important decisions influencing one’s life requires new and additional content in education. Doing research or business internationally requires an understanding of geography, history and demographic developments as well as training in information and communication technology. New professionals must be able to deal with migrations and increasingly multi-ethnic societies, with emerging problems and needs for appropriate solutions. Multi-ethnic Europe, for instance, is making enormous efforts to educate “new citizens” to be ready for creative and peaceful international collaboration with the aim to avoid disasters from past centuries. There is no alternative to this. Therefore, I am glad to make my modest contributions to visionary programs designed by Fairleigh Dickinson University.

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