Table 3 Strengths and challenges of conflict and health research in Lebanon at the individual, organizational and institutional levels
From: Assessing the capacity for conflict and health research in Lebanon: a qualitative study
Strengths of conflict and health research in Lebanon | |
|---|---|
Level | Element |
Individual | Most faculty have research training from US and European countries with relatively few PhD programs in Lebanon |
Open and willing to learn new ways of teaching new content | |
Aware of own limitations with teaching research | |
Qualitative and quantitative research is valued by researchers, with bias toward quantitative | |
Experience with international collaborations and are comfortable with these | |
Strong interest across all junior researchers in developing research skills | |
Highly receptive to online learning teaching methods | |
Consider that continuing education with accreditation can provide the necessary skills while working | |
Organizational | Lebanon is considered a major health research hub in the region |
Civil society interested in developing research critique skills, especially qualitative | |
Research is a part of each university’s mission | |
Some universities like AUB and USJ are considered regional hubs for health research | |
There is an individual IRB mechanism for most universities and hospitals | |
Increased collaborations between universities, NGOs, and Ministries | |
Serious attempts to fill gaps in the curricula in research skills and rising health topics | |
Capacity strengthening for health research in conflict is prioritized internationally | |
Challenges of conflict and health research in Lebanon | |
 Individual | Faculty members with experience in designing and conducting qualitative research studies is limited |
Commitment to e-learning based certificates | |
 Individual/Organizational | Limited mentorship opportunities within most universities |
 Organizational | Huge disparities in human resources and research infrastructure among universities and among local NGOs |
Teaching methods and topics vary widely | |
Power dynamics within certain universities negatively impacts research | |
Concentration of research in few universities such as AUB, USJ and LU. | |
Complicated university bureaucracy | |
 Organizational /Institutional | Lack of sustainable funding |
Gap between research conducted, policy and practice | |
Limited communication with different stakeholders | |
 Institutional | Limited access to data |
Political instability | |
Data quality of national datasets | |
IRB for some studies is decentralized and unregulated | |
 All levels | Lack of research culture in Lebanon and the wider MENA region |
Questionable ethical standards in research especially for local NGOs | |