By Yakin Ouederni

The Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology (I-GHHE) was established with the vision of empowering multidisciplinary collaboration toward sustainable solutions for the challenges confronting societies today. I-GHHE recognizes that health requires an integrative approach between professions and talents, which is why its graduate programs give students the opportunity to pursue public health studies from a variety of perspectives. With a holistic approach to health and sustainability, I-GHHE provides focus on curricula and research in support of precision health, environmental health, and public health policy and management.

Unlike other public health programs in the region, which are typically associated with medical schools, I-GHHE capitalizes on the talents and resources from disciplines all across AUC: biomedical sciences, nanotechnology, biotechnology and engineering within the School of Sciences and Engineering; community insights of the social and behavioral sciences in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences; economic and entrepreneurial savvy of the School of Business; and practical know-how of public policy and administration in the School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.

Within I-GHHE, students, faculty and researchers have opportunities for fieldwork, fostering community engagement at the grassroots level and providing a greater impact in addressing global public health problems within their local communities.

“By seeing how they can enact change within communities nearby, students will understand that they don’t have to travel far to have an impact globally,” said Hassan El-Fawal, professor of biomedical sciences, dean of the School of Sciences and Engineering and I-GHHE founding director.

For AUC and Egypt, I-GHHE provides a venue for international collaboration and engagement. For the Middle East and Africa, it provides opportunities to tap into multidisciplinary expertise with a translatable focus. For the global community, it provides world-class collaborative opportunities and solutions that are equally valid in many corners of the world.