Our history can be traced back to 2016 when the late Professor Scott Reeves invited colleagues from the European region to form an interprofessional research and teaching Interest Group. Under Scott’s leadership the Group met in London to discuss and exchange knowledge on interprofessional developments across Europe. The first Group consisted of Maria Kvarnström (Sweden), Cornelia Mahler (Germany), Maria Mischo-Kelling (Italy), Flemming Jakobsen (Denmark) and Marion Huber (Switzerland).

The Group examined the landscape of interprofessional education (IPE) across different countries, completing two scoping projects. The first consisted of an analysis of university websites concerning IPE policies, initiatives, and curricula. A later project completed a detailed analysis of national policies on the topic of patient safety to identify reference to interprofessional and collaborative initiatives. In combination, the projects revealed a lack of consistency and systematic application of interprofessionalism in the education, policy and practice space in Europe thus cementing the need for dedicated attention to the region.

Over the years, the Group met regularly to exchange information on methods, trends, and theories on interprofessional initiatives in education, research and practice. This enabled significant shared learning on interprofessionalism in Europe and development of plans for advancing interprofessional education, research and practice. Sadly, Scott passed away unexpectedly and suddenly in 2018. Following his passing, the Group remained committed to Scott’s vision and to carrying on his legacy. Andreas Xyrichis, as the new Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Interprofessional Care, was invited to join the group in 2019 to help drive the project forward.

In 2022, we founded the Pan European Academy of Interprofessional Science at a meeting in Winterthur, Switzerland. The founding members of the Academy are Andreas Xyrichis, Maria Kvarnström, Cornelia Mahler and Marion Huber. Our mission is to advance interprofessional science across Europe by creating a vibrant, diverse, and collaborative research and teaching community. We will achieve this by providing learning opportunities through targeted research projects, PhD student summer schools, networking events, and publications.

We are committed to creating a pan-European platform for interprofessional education and collaborative practice that is open and accessible to all. We strive to create an innovative, stimulating educational environment that fosters collaboration and facilitates knowledge-sharing. At the Pan European Academy of Interprofessional Science, we embrace diversity of opinion, experience, and backgrounds. We believe that such diversity strengthens our collective knowledge and enriches our understanding of interprofessional science. 

We are driven by our shared passion for this field and see the potential it holds for improving healthcare and patient safety. Our ultimate goal is to create a platform that encourages the growth of interprofessionalism in health and promotes best practices for healthcare professionals across Europe. Through our efforts, we seek to make a lasting contribution to the advancement of interprofessional science. Follow us in our journey by registering with our newsletter.