About Us

The Global Health Academy is a vibrant, evidence led academic community and cross-disciplinary structure.
We showcase, support and help enable global health research, learning and networks – advancing the University’s global ambitions and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

We are housed in the College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine at the University of Edinburgh.  

Our Vision

We deliver impact for society by drawing together resources within and beyond the University community to enable better and more equitable health for all.

Our Mission

We work to support the creation, curation and implementation of global health knowledge across a diverse global community including practitioners, trainers, researchers, policy makers, business, local community and international agencies.

Our Distinctive Approach

  • We focus particularly on health issues affecting the greatest number of people worldwide – these people typically live in low and middle income countries (LMIC).
  • For meaningful impacts, interdisciplinary approaches are increasingly recognised as fundamental to how we must approach research, education and action.
  • Breakthroughs in global health will be forged through partnerships and working with communities.

Objectives

  1. Leadership in Learning: To support and develop powerful educational resources and study programmes to empower global health professionals – especially those working in LMICs. We want students and professionals to develop career pathways, and to deliver improved healthcare, clinical, programme and managerial skills.
  2. Leadership in Research: To enable and advance impactful research programmes including cross-disciplinary and multi-country studies. We want to create new knowledge and ensure relevant research to be developed and used globally. (See this short video giving a flavour of our leadership in research).  
  3. Leadership in Relationships of Influence: To foster networks, strategic partnerships and communities of practice within and beyond the University. We want University of Edinburgh research to be heard and adopted and the global health conversation to be strengthened.

Values

The following principles underpin how we work, communicate and build relationships:

  • The equality of humanity: We are born equal, there is no innate hierarchy within humanity, but we are born into very unequal circumstances. Our mission is to tackle the inequalities that surround us, and in doing so to respect and value the life of all others.
  • Collective, collaborative effort: Challenges in global health can only be combatted by working in partnerships with different communities, agencies and disciplines, listening to different discourses in order to develop shared understandings of problems and their solutions. Through building on existing excellence and by creating chances for novel combinations, we can collectively drive change. Innovation isn’t only about new things but about old ideas in new spaces. 
  • Listening, curiosity and creativity: We operate with the conviction that the answers to many of the world’s challenges are in the world already – just not in the places or with the people that we traditionally expect will have answers. Listening to those who are on the edges of communities or who have remained unheard because of oppression, discrimination or poverty, and listening to those living in different contexts who build local solutions from repurposed tools, can help us find answers.

What we offer

Our activities are overlapping and interdependent. A brief summary is provided below:

Innovative learning programmes and positive student experiences

  • 14 interdisciplinary online Masters programmes tailored to low and middle income countries (LMIC). These online programmes are globally distinctive in structure: low bandwidth (ensuring accessibility where internet access is less developed); parttime to enable ongoing professional work; structured over 3 years with staged accreditation after each year (certificate, diploma, masters).
  • Range of CPD short courses for professionals
  • Annual Summer School (cohosted with universities based in Rwanda and Uganda)
  • Global Health Academy Learning Hub for University of Edinburgh students studying and/or engaged with global health issues
  • Global Health PhD Programme
  • Compassion Initiative
  • We also profile, promote and support other global health initiatives at the University of Edinburgh including 5 online, 8 oncampus Masters programmes, contributions to teaching and events.

Impactful research into action programmes

  • University of Edinburgh global health research: 7 thematic areas
    • Planetary Health, One Health and the Determinants of Health
    • Care Pathways and Care at Life Stages
    • Illness Specific (Infectious Diseases; Non Communicable Diseases and Co-morbidities; Mental Health)
    • Technical Innovation and Big Data
    • Global Surgery
    • Health Systems and Global Health Governance
    • Compassion, Wellbeing and Ethical Health Care
  • Providing introductions to local LMIC partners
  • Supporting the writing of grant applications
  • Supporting skill development in relation to setting up and sustaining crosscountry research partnerships.

Global and local partnering and networks

  • Wide Global Health Academy Membership promoting ongoing engagement in learning and emerging research for students, staff and other interested individuals and organisations
  • Run workshops (locally and internationally, including with ministries of health) to share research insights
  • Host and contribute to high level conferences and conversations
  • Share research and developments with wide range of global agencies and advocates (including UNDP, UNAIDS etc)

Global Health Academy Video

In this three and a half minute video, Professor Sue Welburn from the University of Edinburgh and Professor John David Kabasa from the University of Makerere, and Global Health Academy student Christine Amongi discuss work to eliminate sleeping sickness in Uganda

Brochure

Overview of GHA (flyer) (3.28 MB / PDF)

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