Letter from the Directors
Universities play a key role in advancing the world’s health. Here at USC, we are moving forward with an agenda of training, capacity building, research and policy development that will have an immediate and profound impact on lives worldwide. USC, through its breadth, has an extraordinary capacity to improve global health. Home to world-class schools of medicine, communications, business, cinematic arts, engineering, and social work among others, the students, faculty, staff and alumni bring a level of diverse expertise, collaboration and enthusiasm that is replicated at few universities elsewhere in the world.
USC is committed to implementing trans-disciplinary approaches to solving the world’s major health challenges and is dedicated to making broad collaborations work. A reflection of this dedication, the USC Institute for Global Health serves as a catalyst for collaboration across USC in addressing global health issues. The Institute consolidates and shares information about global health projects and events, and provides educational programs and immersion experiences with the purpose of inspiring USC students to pursue careers in global health. The Institute also provides forums for the university’s diverse faculty to work together on research, policies, and action that can contribute to controlling the disease and health conditions that are projected to cause the greatest burden in the coming century.
While the USC Institute for Global Health is new, faculty and students from throughout the university have been engaged in global health activities for decades. A number of these projects have inspired us in developing the Institute’s mission, aims, and core themes. Through the Institute, we seek to enhance and expand these efforts and help ensure the projects have an impact on policy change.
We hope that you will join our team and we look forward to seeing you at one of our many global health events.
Fight on for health!
Jonathan Samet and Heather Wipfli