Learning and knowledge ‘transfer’ as translation: a case study of a health partnership programme between Canada and China from the perspective of ANT

ABSTRACT

Existing literature on international health partnerships is largely normative, with an evaluative interest in their impacts in terms of learning and knowledge transfer. Rarely has research attended to how learning and knowledge transfer transpire in practice. This paper addresses this gap with a case study of a partnership between two hospitals in Canada and China. Conceptually, drawing on Actor Network Theory, it posits learning and knowledge transfer as a process of translation. Empirically, it traces the assembling of the programme, and identifies the pedagogical features at nodes of associations. It reveals that health professionals in both countries have expanded their clinical and medical knowledge and practices, and professional senses and sensitivities, which were subsequently amplified, deferred or diminished within their respective practices. It argues that the capacity of individuals to translate learning into practice is contingent on institutional and cultural differences that constitute the ecology of work for health professionals.

KEYWORDS:

• Knowledge transfer
• international health partnership
• professional learning
• actor network theory
• case study

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

The research project was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada through a UBC Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) Research Grant [15R73272]; Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada [15R73273].