Bent Jörgensen

About Bent Jörgensen

Academically and professionally, I have worked with education, research and consultancy within Peace and Development Research as well as Global Health. At the University of Gothenburg, I have held positions as an Internationalisation advisor with responsibility for Asia and as Director of Study in Peace and Development Studies for four years. I have written and taught on Global Health, Global History, Ethnicity, Nationalism, Regionalism and Identity in South and Southeast Asia. During recent years, I have primarily done research on health, local governance and marginalisation in Vietnam.

Areas of interest. In recent years, the main area of interest in consultancy, as well as research, has been within the fields of health and local socio-economic development. Studies have focused on health-seeking behaviour, poverty alleviation, and good governance in local communities. They have analyzed and evaluated a range of issues from antibiotic resistance, education, agricultural and forest extension, saving and credit schemes, the performance of local institutions, community participation in local decision-making, and local monitoring and evaluation of development interventions. The bulk of the studies has been village studies carried out in close collaboration with authorities, local communities, and civil society.

Current research. We are currently collaborating with a number of partners in Europe and Vietnam on a research programme on “One Health interventions to prevent or reduce the development and transmission of antimicrobial resistance.” Patients discharged from hospitals carry antibiotic-resistant bacteria (CRE) back to their families and into communities. The research team monitors this transmission. An information, communication, education and hygiene intervention, developed in collaboration with local health authorities, will aim to improve hygiene and decrease antibiotic use. Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice surveys in tandem with qualitative research will assess health seeking, AB use and hygiene adherence, hence detecting the effect of interventions.

Teaching and tutoring. Since 1987 I have been lecturing and supervising in International Relations, Development Studies, Global Studies, and Global Health. In recent years there has been a slight turn towards the latter. The subjects have varied from Third World History, Identity and Politics, Development Corporation/ Development Aid, and Field Method. I have been programme coordinator for our BA program in Global Studies and our Masters Course in Development and International Cooperation at Sida-Sandö. Since 1999 until today, I have been responsible for field method courses in Zimbabwe, India and Vietnam for Swedish, International and lately Vietnamese students.