The GLOHRA Global Health Academy, in collaboration with the Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), brought together 20 PhD students and postdocs from Germany and Switzerland for a week-long field trip to Geneva to explore global health research, policy, implementation, and practice.
From 28 September to 2 October 2026, participants had the opportunity to step beyond their academic environments and gain first-hand insights into the work of international organizations and institutions shaping global health. The program provided opportunities to engage directly with researchers, practitioners, and policy experts and to explore different perspectives and career pathways within global health.
Over the course of the week, participants visited and learned from a diverse range of organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and Epicentre, Campus Biotech. Geneva Digital Health Hub and the Geneva Graduate Institute, the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), FIND, the United Nations, and the World Bank Group.
The sessions covered a broad range of topics, including global health ethics, health emergencies and preparedness, humanitarian epidemiology, digital health, health policy and systems research, neglected diseases, diagnostics, monitoring and evaluation, global health financing, and evidence-informed policy.
Participants had the opportunity to learn from and exchange with experts from across the global health landscape. At the World Health Organization, speakers included Patrick Lydon, Prof. Andreas Reis, and Bastian Kolt. At Médecins Sans Frontières and Epicentre, participants engaged withEtienne Gignoux.
At Campus Biotech, Geneva Digital Health Hub and the Geneva Graduate Institute, the program featured contributions from Prof. Vinh-Kim Nguyen and Dr Caroline Perrin Franck. The Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research was represented by Dr Lorena Guerrero Torres, Dr Giulia Loffreda, and Dr Robert Marten.
At the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), participants learned from Christina Sander, Michelle Childs, Rittika Datta, Ivan Scandale, Fanny Escudié, Craig Tipple, Juliette Both, Fred Ojardias, Katrin Benzler, Violaine Dällenbach, and Louise Burrows, covering topics ranging from public health-oriented research and development and open science to drug discovery, patient-centered approaches, community engagement, and communication for neglected research needs.
At FIND, Karishma Saran, Marco Marklewitz, Sarah Hingel, and Afrin Haque provided insights into advocacy and communications, genomics and sequencing, neglected tropical diseases, and monitoring, evaluation, and learning. At the World Bank Group, participants engaged with Irene Alaoui and Kent Ranson on global health financing and the role of international financial institutions.
The program also included a visit to the United Nations and a contribution from Prof. Bettina Borisch (World Federation of Public Health Associations, WFPHA), who provided an additional international public health perspective.
Beyond the institutional visits, the field trip provided space for interdisciplinary exchange, networking, and career exploration. Bringing together early-career researchers from different disciplines and backgrounds enabled participants to exchange experiences, explore different career pathways, and develop new connections across the global health community.
The Geneva field trip is part of the Global Health Academy, which provides PhD students and postdocs with opportunities to engage with the wider global health community, gain insights into different areas of global health practice, and build professional networks beyond academia.