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Table 4 Students perceptions of the best and worst aspects of the Master Programme in Nutritional Epidemiology (open questions)

From: Establishing a postgraduate programme in nutritional epidemiology to strengthen resource capacity, academic leadership and research in the democratic republic of Congo

BEST things about GrowNut programme

WORST things about GrowNut programme

Students recommendations

Curriculum

The content of the theoretical courses (GN10)

Epidemiology and Statistics courses were much more advanced, compared to other Master options (GN16)

Bio statistics and epidemiology (GN23)

Learning data entry and analysis software (GN24)

Course contents were well designed. (GN33)

Richness of the subject matter (GN34)

The qualitative research course was botched (GN11)

Qualitative research module was not well provided (GN17)

To add a behavioural communication module into the program, this will help prevent malnutrition at the community level (GN07)

Deepen the qualitative research course (GN11)

A health communication course would be of great importance for the contact between the community and the researchers (GN13)

If we can add the courses in follow-up evaluation, project management and scientific communication (GN23)

Introduce a communication course in the programme and the development of emergency projects (GN24)

Teaching methods

Interactive teaching and to do homework in groups (GN04)

Facilitation of courses by teachers from the universities of Bergen and KZN (GN05)

Benefit from teaching with rigorous foreign teachers in their supervision. (GN09)

Communication with certain facilitators from different universities (GN11)

Experiences of the different local and expatriate professors / facilitators (GN12)

Being taught by professors from other countries university (GN15)

Knowledge sharing from Bergen /UKZN/DRC facilitators (GN22)

Professors from “3 reality of the world” (DRC, South Africa and Bergen /Norway). (GN27)

Concentration of [too many] courses in one year. (GN33)

Studied for 2 years but transcripts are only for one-year Master (GN16)

Reduce the training period to 18 months (GN05)

To create openings within the framework of GrowNut to continue my doctoral studies in epidemiology (GN08)

Increase the number of hours of field practice during the 1st year of internship (GN11)

There are modules that can be given in a conference setting (GN14)

Respect the time set for training (length of training). Training takes 27 months or more instead of 24 as planned (GN18)

Recommend that theoretical courses are given in 2 years instead of doing it in one year (GN31)

English language as a medium of instruction

Learning courses and writing a thesis in English (GN03)

The fact of writing my thesis in English (GN09)

English. I have learnt new technical vocabulary, new words and new expressions (GN16)

Learning the lessons of the second block which was done entirely in English (GN17)

Different courses seen in practice and improved my English. (GN21)

Learning an important part of our study in English (GN26)

The course of high standards in English (GN27)

I gave myself a discipline to have extra classes in English. (GN 35)

Requirement to write, to be evaluated, to receive such relevant lessons and a thesis in a language that I do not master [English] (GN06)

Poor English language skills have delayed some things (GN24)

Introduce … the English course 6 months before the start of the courses for capacity building (GN24)

Bursaries

Obtaining the scholarship, taking charge of my delivery, the payment of the child’s nanny. (GN13)

Obtaining my scholarship (GN15)

Opportunity to get a scholarship. (GN20)

Difficult to pay my bills while I was studying (GN20)

The criteria set up to give the bursary for the PHD degree (GN27)

Not to have benefited from the scholarship (GN30)

Difficulties to pay academic fees for both years, without scholarship (GN35)

Fair bursary distribution is required (GN04)

Increase the number of scholarships (GN05)

provide life insurance / health insurance (GN11)

Provide pocket money for scholarship learners (GN18)

include in the bursary [selection] people who are not [resident] in the capital (GN29)

Feed external students, even with a meal, to increase their attention [span] during lessons (GN33)

The rural research site – internships

Internship in Popokabaka. (GN01)

Participate in internship in Popokabaka. (GN04)

Field work (training) in rural environment (GN07)

Internship spent at Popokabaka, which allowed the learners to contextualize the theoretical lessons in the field. (GN08)

New experience working in the bush (on the field) (GN15)

The internship of Popokabaka (GN17)

Practical course carried out in Popokabaka which refined all the theory learned for 2 years. (GN30)

Lack of internship in organizations working on nutrition and food security like UNICEF, Word Food Program, FAO (GN01)

No internship in research organizations or units specializing in nutrition. (GN10)

The living conditions at POPOKABAKA were poor (GN11)

Trip to Popokababka: a very bad road (GN12)

The indifference of the administrative team faced with the difficulty encountered especially during internships (GN26)

After the Popokabaka internship, I had the impression that the department had abandoned us [no communication on the rest of our programme] (GN17)

Improve: accessibility to Popokabaka, accommodation and catering conditions (GN05)

To include internships in organizations interested in nutrition such as WFP, UNICEF, FAO, etc., to enable learners to become familiar with different types of studies and approaches used by these organizations (GN09)

Diversify internship sites on the last year of internship (GN11)

I would like learners be trained in rural area and in united nations agencies (those working in nutritional fields) for increasing [the] chance for job [s] (GN19)

If GROWNUT could contact some partners like WFP, FAO, etc, for some internship time.

Research experiences

The workshop on research methodology (GN01)

Mastering scientific research of nutritional problems, and data analysis software. (GN02)

The [research] workshop in KwaZulu-Natal (GN17)

Improving my research skills (GN18)

Competence in research (GN19)

Learning of research methods (GN23)

Orientation towards to the research (GN27)

Acquired the knowledge necessary to conduct research with ease (GN28)

Improve my knowledge and skills in research (GN29)

Having two supervisors was a real challenge to face. (GN03)

His [supervisor’s] support did not live up to my expectations. (GN05)

Lack of understanding with my Bergen thesis supervisor (GN13)

Increase the practical work on research and data analysis with all software (Stata) (GN24)