Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) is pleased to announce the 2021-2022 Global Health Education Program (G-HEP), co-organized by HGPI and the Faculty of Public Health of Mahidol University. This year’s theme is “Solving Health Issues for COVID-19 and Urban Migration.”

*Registration has closed.

■Program Overview:

The global spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has demonstrated that cooperation surpassing national borders and every discipline, as well as changes to healthcare and social systems, are needed so we can be ready for any pandemics that may occur in the future. Among those changes, measures for the movement of people across borders will be one key to success. Dangerous circumstances like the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic mean that the positions of migrants, who are often forced into unfavorable socioeconomic conditions, are made even more vulnerable. Bangkok and Tokyo are large cities that serve as home to many immigrants and as destinations for many migrants from neighboring counties, but those groups face shared issues such as access to healthcare and public information. We believe immediate countermeasures are necessary to overcome those issues.  

Over the course of approximately two years, this program will help young people from a diversity of backgrounds in Japan and Thailand to deepen mutual understanding and cooperation through lectures, group work, field work, research, and advocacy to solve health issues for COVID-19 and urban migration and to conduct human resources training and development for the future. Program participants will make specific policy proposals and plan systems to help solve these issues. They will also deepen understanding for everyone in attendance by comparing domestic issues that each country has in common and by sharing knowledge concerning healthcare systems and issues in Thailand or their countries of origin.

■Purpose: 

Through this program, participants will acquire knowledge of public health and problem-solving methods and develop human resources that can solve problems in global health by building trust and creating a cross-sectoral human resource network. By deepening mutual understanding among participants, we aim to provide a formative experience that will contribute to building motivation for future career planning. All interested parties are encouraged to apply! Applications are open for both students and working adults.

If you would like to participate, please fill out the application form which can be downloaded on this page and submit it by e-mail to our secretariat at info@hgpi.org by 23:59 on Sunday, January 3, 2021.

■Program Details:

Period: From February 2021 to October 2022

Locations: Online, Thailand (planned locations are Mahidol University and the Bangkok region), and Japan (planned locations are HGPI and the Tokyo region)

Tentative Program Content:

• Lectures from specialists and experts in global health
• Field work in Thailand and Japan
• Group work with participants from Thailand and Japan
• Presentations for staff at field work destinations (issue analyses, proposals on solutions to issues, etc.)
• Group research by participants from Thailand and Japan
• Advocacy activities by participants from Thailand and Japan

Tentative Schedule

1. Global Health Academy (Online Lectures and Group Work)

• First Session – Lecture: Wednesday, February 10, 2021, 18:30-20:30; Group Work: Wednesday, February 24, 18:30-20:30
• Second Session – Lecture: Wednesday, March 10, 2021, 18:30-20:30; Group Work: Wednesday, March 24, 2021, 18:30-20:30
• Third Session – Lecture: Wednesday, April 14, 2021, 18:30-20:30; Group Work: Wednesday, April 28, 2021, 18:30-20:30
• Fourth Session – Lecture: Wednesday, May 12, 2021, 18:30-20:30; Group Work: Wednesday, May 26, 2021, 18:30-20:30
• Fifth Session – Lecture: Wednesday, June 9, 2021, 18:30-20:30; Group Work: Wednesday, June 23, 2021, 18:30-20:30
• Sixth Session – Lecture: Wednesday, July 14, 2021, 18:30-20:30; Group Work: Wednesday, July 28, 2021, 18:30-20:30
• Seventh Session – Lecture: Wednesday, August 11, 2021, 18:30-20:30; Group Work: Wednesday, August 25, 2021, 18:30-20:30
• Eighth Session – Lecture: Wednesday, September 8, 2021, 18:30-20:30; Group Work: Wednesday, September 22, 2021, 18:30-20:30

2. Field Work (Thailand and Japan)

• One week of field work in each country is planned for October or November 2021
  • Please note that the schedule may change depending on the COVID-19. Regarding payment of the participation fee, we will consider the maximum rational response after discussions by the joint organizer based on the situation.

3. Research

• To be conducted for approximately six months from November 2021 to April 2022

4. Advocacy

• To be conducted for approximately six months from May 2022 to October 2022

■Number of Openings:

Few openings will be available. The capacity is planned to be approximately 20 people, including students from Mahidol University and other Universities.

■Application Eligibility:

• Undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in the field of global health. Exchange students and students affiliated with universities and graduate schools overseas are also welcome to apply.
• Young professionals with work experience in the fields mentioned above (including researchers and working adults) are also eligible.

*As the program will be conducted in English, conversational English speaking and comprehension skills are required.

*Past participants of HGPI’s Global Health Summer Program (GHSP) and Global Health Education Program (G-HEP) are ineligible to apply.

■Selection:

Selection will be conducted with a written examination. Participants will be selected based on their responses to the short essay questions on the application form as well as their English proficiency level.

■Application Deadline:

23:59, Sunday, January 3, 2021

■Selection and Announcement:

Successful applicants for the primary selection will be notified by email on Wednesday, January 6, 2021.

The secondary selection will be conducted through interviews that will be held on Tuesday, January 12; Wednesday, January 13; and Thursday, January 14, 2021. Interviews will be approximately 30 minutes long and will be conducted from 10:00-18:00. We will make separate arrangements for applicants whose schedules are incompatible with the interview schedule, so please notify us of your schedule during primary selection.

The final selection announcement will be notified by e-mail by Friday 15 January 2021.

■ Participation Fee:

The participation fee is 80,000 yen. Successful applicants must provide the fee by bank transfer by the end of February 2021 (the exact date will be provided by email). Please note that a cancellation fee will apply for successful applicants who cancel after the selection announcement.

■ Participation Fee Includes:

• Round-trip airfare between Tokyo, Japan and Bangkok, Thailand
• Fieldwork costs (hotel, domestic transportation in Thailand, meals)
• Overseas travel insurance and related expenses. (Fees will be uniform for all participants).

■ Participation Fee Does Not Include:

• Visa fee
• Domestic transportation to/from airport
• Transportation and meals in Tokyo
• Souvenirs and other personal expenses

■ Passport Requirements:

While Japanese passport holders do not require visas to enter Thailand, due to international regulations, visitors’ passports must be valid for at least six months beyond the date of arrival in Thailand. They must also have at least two or more unused pages for visas.

■ Visa Requirements:

Depending on nationality, travelers require a visa to enter Thailand. Successful applicants will be responsible for completing visa application procedures. Please note that this process may take time, so please begin the visa application procedure as soon as possible after receiving your notification of acceptance. Japanese passport holders do not require visas to participate in this program.

■ Co-organizers:

Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI)

Faculty of Public Health of Mahidol University

■ Contact:

Health and Global Policy Institute

info@hgpi.org (Sugawara, Yoshimura)