International Initiatives in OSH Education and Training of Professionals, especially using Internet

New technical opportunities for online education and a growing awareness of the challenges for education and training in occupational safety and health stimulate the utilization of distant learning and e-courses. We will describe various experiences among others in Africa and India, and explicate new distant courses organized by the University of Illinois USA. Initiatives in Europe and Latin America will be mentioned as well.   Company health professionals such as doctors, nurses, engineers, technicians or managers can strengthen their competencies in occupational health through distant learning. This form of teaching and learning offers an attractive alternative for companies and organizations in developing countries or remote areas as no travels are required. Participants come for instance from China, Indonesia, Cambodia, Nepal, Pakistan, Nigeria, Botswana, Kenya, South Africa, Argentina, Ecuador, Peru, or Chile. The courses are enabling the participants to implement scientifically sound, ethical and effective occupational health programs in the workplaces that they support.  The opportunities of open repositories for learning materials will be demonstrated. Staff at every place in the world can download quality materials in order to support teaching and learning. We will reflect on various educational methods available and on how to apply online learning materials e.g. the modules of OHTA for intermediate level qualification in Occupational Hygiene. International collaboration can produce new ways for education and training that were not available before. New forms for collaboration have to be explored as joining our capacities in education and training will give us more quality and impact. So many regions in the world have only a few well educated professionals in occupational safety and health, there is much work to do.