Fulbright program takes KU School of Health Professions dean to South Africa

Education can bring people from around the world together, and few people know that better than Abiodun Akinwuntan, Ph.D., MPH, dean of the University of Kansas School of Health Professions and a professor of physical therapy and rehabilitation science.

Akinwuntan, who is also a leading authority on the use of virtual reality technologies to improve daily living for those with neurological impairments, spent nearly a month at the beginning of this year in South Africa as a Fulbright Specialist.

A program of the U.S. Department of State, the Fulbright Specialist Program is an opportunity for U.S. academics and established professionals to engage in two- to six-week, project-based exchanges at host institutions across the globe. It is designed to build lasting connections between the people of the United States and those in other countries.   

Hosted by the University of the Western Cape in Cape Town, Akinwuntan delivered lectures and conducted workshops on stroke and self-management after stroke rehabilitation to students and faculty there and at the University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University as well as to staff at rehabilitation centers and facilities. In South Africa, stroke is the second highest cause of death after HIV/AIDS, and it is a leading cause of long-term disability, according to a study published in BMC Neurology.

Akinwuntan also worked to identify opportunities for research collaborations and for faculty and student exchanges between the University of Kansas Medical Center and the three universities.

With two previous Fulbright awards to his name, Akinwuntan values the experience of exchanging knowledge with faculty and students at other institutions abroad. In 2013, he earned a Fulbright US Scholar Award to Nigeria and in 2016, a Fulbright Specialist Award to Iceland.

"In addition to the experiences gained from two previous Fulbright awards, this third award to South Africa once again confirmed the immense knowledge and multicultural understanding that recipients benefit from visits to other countries to interact and collaborate with distinguished professionals,” Akinwuntan said. “All three visits have helped me to better appreciate the huge impact that international educational exchanges have on a well-rounded knowledge base.”

Dean Akinwuntan leads the KU Medical Center Global Health and International Educational Exchange Faculty Forum and has mentored eight faculty members for the Fulbright Specialist roster.