Global Health Studies hosts "Humanity, Equity, and Technology: The Right to Health in a Changing World"

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Conference
Dr. Phaedra Henley presenting at the conference

 

Over 125 UI students attended the fall 2018 conference, "Humanity, Equity, and Technology: The Right to Health in a Changing World,” which was hosted by the Global Health Studies Program in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences on November 2 - 4, 2018. 

Brian Mutebi
Brian Mutebi

Keynote speakers included Dr. Phaedra Henley, Professor at the University of Global Health Equity (Rwanda), and Brian Mutebi, award-winning journalist and Executive Director of Education & Development Opportunity (Uganda). UI faculty members from a variety of departments facilitated break-out session discussions. The conference was co-sponsored by the College of Public Health and International Programs.

The University of Iowa Global Health Studies Program offers a B.A. and B.S., a minor, and a certificate (which is available to both undergraduate and graduate/professional students). The academic curriculum builds upon the humanities, social sciences and health sciences to help students understand underlying forces—such as history, culture, gender and sexuality, economics, politics, race and ethnicity, the environment, law, and technology—that lead to health disparities worldwide.

The program offers experiential learning opportunities such as study abroad, internships, research, service learning, and capstone courses which allow students to develop real world skills related to major global health issues. These experiences help students define and achieve their post-graduation goals.

Lina-Maria Murillo
UI History Professor Lina-Maria Murillo presents

The UI Global Health Studies Program equips its students to:

  • Identify the core areas of Global Health such as infectious and non-communicable diseases, maternal and child health, food sovereignty, environmental health, health inequalities, and interventions.

  • Analyze biomedical, social, cultural, and environmental determinants of health and disease.

  • Draw connections between significant health problems which affect both domestic and international communities.

  • Recognize the ethical challenges involved in interventions designed to improve health and health equity across cultural and geographical boundaries.

Global Health Studies graduates find employment in a range of global health related sectors such as non-profit organizations, immigrant and refugee health, community-based health education, governmental agencies, health policy, and advocacy.   Global Health Studies alumni have also gone on to graduate and professional programs in public health, international development, medicine, pharmacy, nursing, law, urban and regional planning, sustainable agriculture, non-profit management, and public administration.

The University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers about 70 majors across the humanities; fine, performing and literary arts; natural and mathematical sciences; social and behavioral sciences; and communication disciplines. About 15,000 undergraduate and nearly 2,000 graduate students study each year in the college’s 37 departments, led by faculty at the forefront of teaching and research in their disciplines. The college teaches all Iowa undergraduates through the college's general education program, CLAS CORE. About 80 percent of all Iowa undergraduates begin their academic journey in CLAS. The college confers about 60 percent of the university's bachelor's degrees each academic year.