The World Physiotherapy accreditation committee agreed at its meeting in July to grant full accreditation to two physiotherapy entry level education programmes, one in Madrid, Spain, and one in Istanbul, Turkey.
The accreditation of the programmes at the European University of Madrid, Spain, and Yeditepe University, Turkey, brings the total number of programmes accredited by World Physiotherapy to 18.
The World Physiotherapy accreditation service resumed full activity earlier this year, undertaking site visits in March/April, after two years of limited activity due to the impact of travel restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Four more site visits are expected to take place during 2022 in three different World Physiotherapy regions.
European University of Madrid
The programme has been reaccredited after its first successful accreditation process in 2015.
The review team was composed of the international education experts Charles Batcho, member of Beninoise Association of Physiotherapists – Reeducators, and Andrea Turolla, member of Italian Association of Physiotherapy. The site visit took place 30-31 March 2022 and both the French and Spanish pathways of the programme have been accredited.
Simone Sato, dean of the physical activity, sports and physiotherapy faculty, at the European University of Madrid, said: “This reaccreditation is the outcome of a firm and continuous commitment to excellence in all processes of the European University of Madrid that allow the physiotherapy programme to be developed with the highest levels of quality and international vision.”
Yeditepe University
The programme has been accredited for the first time.
The review team was composed of the international education experts John Xerri de Caro, member of Malta Association of Physiotherapists, and Magdalena Hagner-Derengowska, member of Polish Chamber of Physiotherapists. The site visit took place 31 March-1 April 2022.
In a joint statement, İpek Karaaslan, Yeşim Ekinci, and Ahmet Aydın, vice rectors at Yeditepe University, said: “World Physiotherapy's full accreditation supports our department's efforts to promote the best standards in physiotherapy practice, education, and research. It helps us unite the physiotherapy profession to improve global health and wellness while opening up fantastic potential for collaboration with local, national, and international organisations.
“We are honoured and happy to be one of the 18 physiotherapy programmes from around the world that have been accredited, after successfully passing the World Physiotherapy evaluation.”
Accreditation committee members
The accreditation committee has recently appointed Alice Jones, member of Australian Physiotherapy Association, and Scott Ward, member of American Physical Therapy Association, as accreditation committee members. They will each serve a four-year term, starting from 1 July 2022. The other members of the committee are:
- Chair: Karim Martina Alvis Gómez, member of Colombian Association of Physiotherapy
- Aimee Stewart, member of South African Society of Physiotherapy
- Yasushi Uchiyama, member of Japanese Physical Therapy Association
