A Visit to the Netherlands for the Global Health Advisory Board Meeting
This past week I had the opportunity to travel to the Netherlands as part of my work in the Global Health Program at McMaster. As the Academic Advisor, I provide student and program support throughout the program, and have been able to sit in on various strategic planning meetings. One of the unique components of the Global Health Program is its international Advisory Board, an interdisciplinary group of experts and world leaders in the field of global health. Representatives from partner programs in the Netherlands, Norway, India, Sudan, and Thailand attended the two days of meetings, followed by a Symposium and the opening of the Maastricht Centre for Global Health. We were also honoured to have Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet of the Netherlands participate as honorary chair of the advisory board. During the Advisory Board meetings, I updated the board on curriculum changes in the McMaster program as well as data on where alumni go upon completion of the Global Health Program.
An alumni of the Global Health Program at McMaster myself, the global network of interdisciplinary students (who have now begun working in the field) has been invaluable. While in Maastricht for meetings, I was able to connect with Alix Thomson, who is working on her PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience at Maastricht University after completing the Global Health Program in 2015. After meeting as students in the program, Alix and I shared a common interest in running, training together and bringing together a group of students to run the Wellwood 10km race for Colorectal Cancer awareness. Although Alix went to Maastricht on exchange before completing her practicum with Water Aid in Vancouver, we always kept in touch.
Being able to connect with Alix two years after completing the program highlights the diverse global network of interdisciplinary professionals that I gained as part of the Global Health Program. We represent the future generation of global health experts, and keeping in touch for both personal and professional reasons allows us to share resources and job opportunities. It has been through this network that many of my friends and colleagues have found employment. To me, meeting Alix in Maastricht serves as a reminder that with the network I have built thanks to the Global Health program, I have friends and colleagues all around the world. Though I don’t know what the future holds for my career, I am confident that the network I have cultivated will play a role in the next steps of my career.
David Hill
Student Blog