The ISN Renal Sister Center Program was launched to enhance
cooperation between centers of nephrology worldwide. The goal is for renal centers in the
developed world to relate to centers in emerging countries by exchanging and sharing
faculty, fellows, students and equipment as well as cooperating in clinical research
projects and educational courses. The response has been remarkable and 125 Renal Sister
Center paired relationships (that is 250 nephrology units worldwide) were officially
established at an inaugural ceremony with certificates presented at the International
Congress of Nephrology in Sydney, May 1997. These links involve 57 emerging countries and
17 in the developed world. Once a partnership has been established, it will have a
positive bearing on continuity and on the acquirement of ISN funds and programs although
these funds are limited and the ISN cannot help every sister institute. Therefore the
sister partnership should in principle be self-supporting. A center in a developed country
may consider arranging a second agreement.
We believe that the ISN Renal Sister Center program will
be mutually beneficial and will in some small way begin to impact the care of
patients with kidney disease and hypertension in the two-thirds of the world
where the available health care is suboptimal. On October 31, 2000, the number
of ISN sister links has increased to 145. Evidently, sister partnerships can
optimally be built on existing or previous relationships (i.e. former fellows,
visiting professorships, friendships, etc.). Directors of renal centers in emerging
and developed countries are asked to communicate potential ISN Sister Center
relationships to the ISN Global Headquarters
(see questionnaire/application form).
- List of ISN Renal Sister Centers
- Call for
Candidates - Questionnaire/Application Form
Regular Sister Links - Agreement Form MS Word97
(to be filled out if you have identified a sister center) - Model
Sister Linkages: General information and application forms
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Last Update: 07 October 2002
