The role of accessible education has always been a critical one, and now healthcare stakeholders in the GCC can reap the benefits of the largest online platform in the region. Leveraging AI and blockchain technology, Healthvarsity aims to provide healthcare professionals with opportunities to progress in their careers by offering more than 200 courses, which can be paid for in cryptocurrency.
The EdTech venture is the brainchild of Dr. Thumbay Moideen, Founder-President of Healthvarsity and Thumbay Group, a Dubai-based international business conglomerate with operations in education and healthcare. Healthvarsity is headquartered and registered in Dublin, Ireland.
The platform aims to enhance the availability and scope of established programmes that improve the skills of healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, and students pursuing medical studies. In the future, the platform will introduce additional features such as an AI-powered Virtual Instructor, Virtual Mentor, and Virtual Assessor.
Dr. Moideen introduced the platform to 200 stakeholders and guests at its official launch ceremony on Tuesday. Staying true to its digital style, the launch was streamed live on YouTube. Guests of honour included Dr. Richard Grose, Dean for Global Engagement, Professor of Cancer Cell Biology, Queen Mary University of London, UK, and Wendy Palmer, Director, Global Studio, Deakin University, Australia. Dr. Grose and Palmer played a role in designing the audio-visual courses as well as the syllabus alongside a panel of international experts.
In his keynote at the launch, Dr. Moideen highlighted the rise of online learners around the world. “Global medical graduates stand at roughly 0.9 million per annum and the cost of various courses are extremely high, which we aim to bring down through this platform,” he said, adding that the global EdTech business itself recorded US$11 billion in 2022 and is growing at an estimated rate of 13 to 14 per cent per year.
“The classrooms of the future will adapt to virtual reality, gamification, webinars, e-Libraries and more, which is a result of the accelerated rate of digital and online learning. Our aim is to engage more than 100,000 learners in the next five years across the Middle East, Indian sub-continent, South Asia, and Africa,” he said.
Dr. Mohamed M. Al-Eraky, CEO, Healthvarsity, addressed the long-term commitment required by students in programmes traditionally offered by universities and how technology can ease the burden.
“With the evolving landscape of healthcare, graduates now are expected to learn, unlearn, and relearn new skills to keep their jobs and consider even. Health is more than an online platform, it is about giving choices to health professionals to meet the progressive changes of a competitive global market. Now, people are more attentive to learning concepts and strategies that they can apply immediately. We would like to foster this autonomy of learners and professionals and are planning to be the leading platform in healthcare education,” he said.
