College of Medicine and Medical Sciences has recognized the relationship between Health Professions Education and Evidence-based Health Care and has been a pioneer in the region in both fields. Recognizing the need for more research and to provide further impetus to the efforts in the two areas, the university established a Centre which serves the training and educational needs in the area of Evidence based Healthcare and Medical Education. Since August 2006, the College has been designated as a WHO Collaborating Centre for Educational Development and Training. In January 2019 the Center is redesignated as WHO Collaborating center for Health Professionals’ educational Development. The Center serves as a Centre for human and technical resources and organizes national and regional workshops and training courses in both Evidence-based Healthcare and Medical Education for all the countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMRO)

WHO Collaborative Centre for Health Professionals’ Education Development is dedicated to the promotion of evidence-based approaches in healthcare as well as medical education in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. It aims to achieve this through education, research and provision of technical support services, and human resources for training of health professionalism making education and evidence-based medicine.

The Centre envisions becoming a world class learning resource and research nucleus in the area of Evidence-based Healthcare and Medical Education for all the countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

• Provide training and courses in the area of Best Evidence Medical Education and Evidence-Based Medicine.
• Provide training in conducting systematic reviews/meta-analyses in the field of healthcare and medical education.
• Facilitate formulation and implementation of evidence-based practice clinical guidelines in the Gulf region.
• Facilitate improvement in the quality of healthcare and health professions education through promotion of evidence-based approaches.
• Serve as a Centre for human and technical resources for promotion of evidence–based healthcare and medical education.

The University also participates in several regional initiatives such as the GCC Medical College Deans’ Committee which provides a framework for regional standards for medical education and training and initiates and supports the provision of quality medical education in GCC member countries using international quality assurance programmes. Several projects have been initiated and implemented by the GCC Medical College Deans’ Committee. The Centre is also active in other international collaborative activities such as the World Federation of Medical Education.

• Support the implementation of the WHO global strategy on human resources for health and regional strategic framework on health workforce development
• Strengthen and build capacities of faculty at the regional level in health professions education
• Carry out studies to explore the ways of improving the contribution of WHO collaborating centers in the field of health professions education