Growing international leadership in mental health

Over the past decade, the College has quietly but consistently strengthened our international presence, deepened partnerships and contributed to workforce development around the world. From Ukraine to Asia and to the Pacific, College members have contributed their expertise and commitment to global mental health, particularly in child and adolescent psychiatry.

These initiatives have been relatively organic to date, but the RANZCP is soon to develop its first international strategy to define exactly where we want to focus our efforts.

What started in 2013 as the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry International Relations Subcommittee, reporting to the Faculty of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (FCAP), has evolved into a College-wide initiative. In 2025, the International Projects Committee (IPC) was established under the Practice, Policy and Partnerships Committee, reflecting the College’s growing strategic focus on international collaboration.

Chaired by Dr Nick Kowalenko, the IPC brings together a diverse and experienced group of Fellows and trainees, including representatives from FCAP and co-opted experts. Together, they have shaped a broad portfolio of initiatives to share knowledge and educational resources, develop training programs, and offer mentoring support to our international community.

International projects highlights

Ukraine
Amid the devastation of war in Ukraine, the College is partnering with local and international colleagues to co-develop webinars and training materials, expand community-based psychological and specialist services, and pilot scalable clinical models of best practice.

Asia
In Iraq, the College is supporting the development of a child and adolescent advanced training program through a volunteer-led training initiative. The 2023 Memorandum of Understanding with Iraq’s Scientific Council of Psychiatry formalised this enduring collaboration.

In Sri Lanka, the College is awaiting formal approval to deliver a child and adolescent psychiatry training program for 50 doctors at the National Hospital in Galle.

In Vietnam, the 4th Vietnam Psychiatric Association/RANZCP joint meeting held in Hanoi in 2024 strengthened ties and knowledge sharing.

In Cambodia, a new 11-week training program in child and adolescent psychiatry was launched in May 2024 in partnership with St Vincent’s Hospital and the Cambodian Ministry of Health.

Pacific region
The Pacific has long been a region of focus for the College due to its proximity and the increasing number of Pasifika psychiatrists training through the Australian and New Zealand health systems.

The Online Pacific Health Exchange has been running for five years, offering free, online training to Pacific health workers. An advanced program – covering trauma-informed care, developmental disorders and youth substance use – is launching in early 2026.

The College’s mentoring program, which began in 2016 with the establishment of the Vanuatu Psychiatry Mentoring Program, has expanded to support mentees in Kiribati, Samoa, Papua New Guinea and Fiji.

RANZCP members continue to support Fiji National University’s Masters in Psychiatry through online teaching and development of a mentoring program. Members are also volunteering their time to deliver in-person workshops.

Pasifika Study Group
Since 2013, six bi-annual Pasifika Study Groups have fostered regional collaboration, in conjunction with the Pasifika Medical Association, to promote the development of an effective and sustainable mental health workforce.

Looking ahead

These international projects often operate in challenging contexts marked by cultural diversity, post-colonial legacies, climate-related disasters, and significant shortages in mental health infrastructure and workforce. 

This work would not be possible without the dedication of our members who have taken on a variety of projects in order to give back to the sector. I extend my heartfelt thanks to members of the IPC, FCAP, our regional partners, and all College members involved in these efforts.

These contributions not only support global mental health equity but also strengthen the College’s reputation as a collaborative and values-driven international leader.

As we continue to build on this foundation, the RANZCP remains committed to building respectful partnerships that respond to local needs and realities and working alongside regional colleagues to share knowledge and support workforce development.