Continued Expansion of the Global Health Program on the Agenda as International Advisory Board Meets in Maastricht

The international advisory board of the MSc Global Health program convened in the Netherlands last week for their annual meeting to discuss the current state and future strategic direction of the program.

This was the first Global Health Advisory Board meeting of all country delegates. The Global Health program and student body is growing and now includes the founding partners (McMaster and Maastricht universities) joined by Manipal University (India), Thammasat University (Thailand), University College of Southeast Norway (Norway), Ahfad University for Women (Sudan) and Universidad del Rosario (Colombia).

As the program continues to evolve, key stakeholders continue to seek out new institutions to join forces with in the effort to tackle the world’s most pressing global health challenges. The board and attendees reviewed additional sites for Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Uganda and Kenya.

The one and a half day meeting was followed by curriculum meetings and the official opening of the Maastricht Centre for Global Health. Board members discussed various issues including enrolment growth; action-oriented research currently taking place at partner institutions; funding opportunities; and the program’s continued expansion. The board also reviewed a report on the Learning Symposium in Manipal, India, and invited program alumni to talk about their current work since graduating. Maastricht University’s Rector Magnificus Rianne Letschert spoke about internationalization in higher education.

In terms of specific global health challenges to be addressed, the issue of antimicrobial resistance has been placed high on the agenda. During her visit to McMaster last May, the board’s honorary chair Princess Margriet of the Netherlands, opened a symposium on this issue, which has been identified by the World Health Organization and others as an increasingly serious threat to global public health.

 Global Health News