Mission

The primary objective of the University of Iowa Global Health Studies Program is to educate students about the health transitions occurring globally in the wake of global environmental, political, economic, and social changes, and to prepare these students for occupations that increasingly demand critical interdisciplinary and international thinking skills and perspectives.

The program organizes on-campus and overseas activities for students and faculty, enabling them to gain firsthand experience with the major issues of global health.

Breadth and Scope

Global Health Studies Program faculty and students consult, collaborate, and cooperate with a multitude of faculty and disciplines across the UI campus, the state of Iowa, and all over the world. Working relationships and linkages with a wide variety of grassroots, university, NGO, or government-based local and national experts and programs in global health exist in locales as diverse as the Dominican Republic, Thailand, Iceland, El Salvador, Nepal, Kenya, the Middle East, India, Eastern Europe, Russia, and others.

Areas of inquiry are equally diverse and include, for example: evaluations of the health effects of violence against women in El Salvador or the health challenges for women in the traditional Bedouin communities, the individual and community impacts of landmines and their related injuries in Uganda, tuberculosis control programs in rural Thailand, medical waste disposal challenges for the small island state of Malta, and water related health and development issues in Nepal.

Activities of the GHSP

• Development and sponsorship of innovative and unique interdisciplinary and team taught courses addressing significant global health issues and challenges
• Development and sponsorship of appropriate and innovative sites for study and research abroad of significant global health issues
• Sponsorship of a certificate program that consists of 18 semester hours of concentrated study and research in global health studies at both the undergraduate and graduate levels
• Faculty advisors for students interested in research or careers in health related occupations internationally
• Cross campus events, workshops, symposia, and conferences, to engage other faculty and visitors with an interest or expertise in international research and global health issues
• Special undergraduate research opportunities with Global Health Studies faculty members for independent study credit
• Development of other customized opportunities for students and faculty to share information, research results, and experiences addressing global health issues through coordination and consultation with other colleges and departments within the University of Iowa, across the state and region, and around the world, as opportunities and interest arise.