Alumni Symposium MPHP 04.10.2011
On October 4, 2011, the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences hosted a one-day MPH symposium. This symposium was an initiative of the 2000-2001 MPHP class. Alumni – Dr. Tina Dorn, Mr. Dorin Vaipan and Juliette Li Qiaochun – presented lectures about life after their Master’s study. It is well worth mentioning that many MPHP alumni hold key positions in Western, Asia and other developing countries and that several alumni relocated to countries where they are employed as public health experts.
Klasien Horstman, Professor of Public Health, Maastricht University, gave a well-received lecture on ‘genomics in public health from a global perspective: the Dodo game’.
The MPHP programme as it was in 2000-2001 no longer exists. Many of the elements of the original study were absorbed into the current M.Sc. of Global Health programme and for this reason Global Health students were invited to take part in this symposium. Those who attended grasped the opportunity to mix and mingle with alumni and discover where their degrees led them and get a better idea of the possibilities awaiting them after graduation. For example, speaker/alumna Juliette Li Qiaochun, armed with a MPH degree, moved outside the norm and is now employed by the Fair Wear Foundation: a combination of health promotion and business, an interesting concept that came as a surprise to many. It is a good example of how comprehensive and versatile public health can be.
As alumni coordinator, I would like to thank everyone involved in this project. The alumni office encourages these kinds of initiatives and is convinced of their value to not only the current student population, but as a life-long learning tool for our alumni to as well.
The success of the day has sparked discussions to hold an annual alumni symposium within the Global Health programme … developments will be posted.
