HRH Princess Margriet Visits Mac: An Incredible Opportunity

It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet of the Netherlands and Professor Pieter van Vollenhoven were coming to meet with a handful of Global Health students and alumni to hear about our experiences in the program.

When I first got the news, my mind started to race with a flurry of ideas of what I could share. How to articulate everything the program has provided me in just 20 minutes? I thought immediately of the interconnectedness between the two programs at McMaster and Maastricht, and how shared courses like Global Health Foundations allowed me to learn alongside students from other cultures, on other continents, and in separate time zones.

This opportunity to meet with royalty was only possible through the Global Health Program, where Her Royal Highness sits as the honorary chair of the advisory board. I am extremely grateful for the chance to meet with members of the royal family, whose passions include education, global health and international development, and cross-cultural collaborations.

David Hill, Msc Global Health Alumni, Class of 2015