Featured Student
Gul Saeed
MPH Student, Social and Behavioral Health Sciences (Health Promotion)
Why did you choose to join the Collaborative Specialization in Global Health (CSGH)?
Despite the advancements in technology and medicine, gaps in health outcomes between the Global North and Global South remain dangerously high. Therefore, I was drawn to the CSGH as I believe it will help me gain the knowledge, skillset, and understanding of my role in improving health outcomes and reduce mental health disparities.
What is your favourite aspect of the CSGH?
My favorite part of the CSGH is the diverse aptitudes brought by the students around me, but also knowing that it’s an atmosphere where we can combine our strengths and work together to address the most pressing global health issues.
How has the CSGH impacted your education/future goals?
One of my future goals is to work together with marginalized populations to increase accessibility to mental health services. Through the CSGH I have learned how to do so in the most equitable way. For instance, I have learned the importance of reflecting on my positionality within the field to address power dynamics that underlie global health research and initiatives.
What have you learned about global health that you would like to share with prospective students?
In my introduction to Global Health course, we learned that although “global” is often conceptualized as elsewhere from here (where the here is the West). However, simply put, to build equitable partnerships across nations, “global” must bring together both “here” and “elsewhere.” Therefore, I’d like to share with prospective students that global health work does not always need to take place in the Global South but can also be done within our own communities.