Professor Alan Bernstein, Director of Global Health, met with students from the Nuffield Department of Medicine’s MSc in International Health and Tropical Medicine (IHTM).
Professor Bernstein spoke to 30-40 students of the MSc in IHTM on 21 November 2023 at Brasenose College, University of Oxford, about the special importance of young people in global health at this moment in history. He gave an engaging and thought-provoking talk, drawing from real world examples and his extensive experience. He said: “We live in a fractured troubled world, with rise of populism, climate change, pandemics, growing inequalities within and between countries. But every one of these problems is solvable with research and young people who have energy, are intelligent and have been trained to think.”
Professor Bernstein emphasised the great opportunity and obligation that the students have to give back and their privilege to be studying at the University of Oxford. He added that this is also the best time to be doing global health because of the powerful research tools that are now available. His remarks were followed by stimulating, probing and insightful questions from the students. Professor Bernstein was delighted and energized by the students and their questions. He said: “I was very impressed with the students. They are bright and incredibly articulate. I was very pleased to have had this opportunity to meet some of the next generation of global health researchers studying here at the University of Oxford.”