Funded through the Monash Warwick Alliance Visiting Educators Scheme Dr Craig Hassed, Associate Professor from Monash University visited Warwick between 10 June and 1 July 2017. Hosted by Prof Sarah Stewart-Brown, Professor in Public Health at Warwick Medical School, Dr Hassed is one of the pioneers of mindfulness teaching in medicine, who embarked on the development and delivery of a wellbeing and mindfulness module in the late 1990s at the same time as one or two pioneers in the US. Although starting with elective modules for both students and GPs in a manner akin to the US researchers, Dr Hassed went on to develop a core curriculum course for the first two semesters of the medical school course. He was first in the world to do this and has been instrumental in introducing a variety of innovations into medical education and practice in Australia and overseas, with an emphasis on the application of holistic, integrative and mind-body medicine in medical practice. The teaching he developed for the Medical School is now being used in almost all the Faculties across Monash University and is being requested in other universities in Australia.

While at Warwick, Dr Hassed delivered a keynote speech at the Mindfulness in Health and Higher Education Conference on the 16 and 17 June 2017. This two-day conference explored ways in which mindfulness can be effectively taught and embedded in regard to higher and professional education and addressed mindfulness across a broad range of disciplines but with particular emphasis on medical education.

During his visit Dr Hassed delivered two workshops on mindfulness, the first for those who were relatively new to mindfulness and the second for staff teaching mindfulness in the tertiary environment or for those with a little more experience. For further information on the collaboration meetings and other events that took place, please contact Prof Sarah Stewart-Brown.