Universities Without Walls (UWW)

Initiative Summary

Universities Without Walls is a hub for distance education (e-learning, mobile learning and micro-learning), in-person and blended educational activities for the HIV movement in Canada. Its focus in HIV research, its dissemination and impact in diverse communities of practice such as nonprofit organizations, clinical teams, and academic students.

Initiative Objectives and Goals

UWW activities and tools are designed to help community facilitators, clinicians, academics and students learn and teach online and in-person about HIV research methods, ethics and application of evidence. The aim of the UWW Program is to develop a new generation of HIV researchers in socio-scientific disciplines, including the helping professions.  Our focus is HIV community based research, intervention research and community-based evaluation but adaptable to other health disciplines and sectors.

The Role of this Initiative to End the HIV Epidemic

UWW was created to provide an increasing network for HIV research support and mentorship to otherwise isolated students working in disparate disciplines and regions, and to increase their chances to succeed academically and professionally in an increasingly complex and competitive professional field.

Meaningful Engagement with People with Lived Experience

Peer researchers are a cornerstone of successful community-based research (CBR). The Greater Involvement of People Living with HIV/AIDS (GIPA) is a guiding principle for community-based research, as it increases the commitment to ensure that people living with HIV/AIDS are involved in, and have some control over, program development, policy making and especially research.