Ms. Cendrine Danae Robinson attended the Summer Institute on Alcohol, Drugs and Addiction in The Netherlands earlier this year and found that the experience exceeded her expectations.
Ms. Robinson, a doctoral student at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, attended the Summer Institute through a tuition waiver from the NIDA International Program. The Institute “immensely enriched my graduate training,” she wrote in a final report of her experience.
A joint initiative of The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw) and the University of Amsterdam Graduate School of Social Sciences, the Summer Institute is a 2-week, intensive multidisciplinary program offering graduate-level and continuing professional development training in addiction, while promoting opportunities for international networking.
Ms. Robinson was part of a group of students from a range of countries who heard from counselors, psychiatrists, pharmacologists, and researchers. The students gained a greater understanding of current drug abuse prevention and treatment research and, given the diverse make-up of the participants, had the opportunity to hear a range of perspectives and about the influence of culture on drug policy.
Ms. Robinson walked away from the Institute “with a global understanding of drug use and policy,” she said of the 2-week training. She plans to cultivate the relationships she began at the Institute as she continues with her research.