Academic Collaborations: Do’s and Don’ts

Abstract

Collaborations happen when individuals or organizations work together towards a common outcome. Academic collaborations date back to the colonial times but the advent of global health especially in the twenty-first century has led to an upsurge in north-south collaborations. In health, collaborations date back before 1978 when medical diplomacy was described as a way to transcend conflicts and improve international relations. Today, academic collaboration is not only an institutional initiative but also trainees continue to show interest in involvement and active participation. One of the major drivers is the desire by the north to bridge the unmet needs in the south through mutually beneficial capacity building efforts. The success of collaboration is a result of careful consideration of the many facets of the puzzle. In this paper, we review the literature and outline the dos and don’ts to be considered for fruitful and mutually beneficial academic collaborations in global health.