Establishing a global consortium for Public Health research

Establishing a global consortium for Public Health research | School of Human and Health Sciences

The University of Huddersfield’s International Collaborative Fund (ICF) helped set up a Global Consortium for Public Health Research to foster global health research collaboration, with the University as the leading coordinating hub and a mix of academics and researchers from institutions from low/middle and high-income countries around the globe as collaborative partners.

The Project

On 19 – 20 June 23, the University of Huddersfield hosted the first Global Consortium for Public Health Research (GCPHR) meeting on campus, bringing together researchers and practitioners from the Global North and South to discuss and share experiences with the collective mission to improve global health outcomes.

The two-day event, funded by the University of Huddersfield’s International Collaborative Fund (ICF), brought together more than 30 health and public health researchers, practitioners and policymakers from around the world. All of which are committed to advancing the field of public health through collaborative research, education and advocacy, and help overcome the multifaceted challenges faced by public health systems worldwide and create a brighter and healthier future for all.

At the end of the two-day event, GCPHR members agreed to collaborate to develop joint research projects and PhD studentship.

Partner Institutions

• University of Floria, USA
• Bournemouth University, UK
• Sheffield University, UK
• Keele University, UK
• Coventry University, UK
• University of Ghana, Ghana
• University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMASS), USA
• Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research Wardha, India
• Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
• Green Tara Nepal, Nepal
• Novel College, Purbanchal University, Pokhara, Nepal
• Tribhuvan University, Nepal

International Partnerships

The consortium is focused on fostering a sustainable partnership for global health research, facilitating health research capacity building in the collaboration, addressing global health priorities and responding to emerging public health threats and promoting implementation research to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This collaboration also puts high emphasis on building research capacity in low/middle-income countries while sharing expertise and learning from each other. It will foster long-term research capacity through joint-funded PhD programmes and jointly awarded PhDs, dual research and publications.

In the future, the consortium will host conferences, workshops and scientific meetings to help connect Huddersfield researchers and academics with top health researchers in the international community. Partner institutions will also host University of Huddersfield PhD students through the Turing scheme, as well as reciprocal visits to institutions.

The consortium recently secured £401,023 funding through the University Research Fund (URF) to set up a multi-country, longitudinal cohort study on non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

The main aim of the project is to bring together existing and new network of international researchers to strengthen global partnerships on health research and enhance the University’s reputation through collaborative work by establishing a multi-country longitudinal cohort study to understand the causes and risks factors of NCDs. 

More information about its first global research programme, can be found here.

The event served as an excellent platform for networking, establishing new connections, and forging meaningful partnerships with other esteemed professionals and organisations in the field of global health. The ideas, recommendations, and lessons learned from the meeting will be of immense value in shaping future global health research initiatives, policy development, and implementation strategies.

Prof Padam Simkhada

About the Researcher

Prof Padam Simkhada is an Associate Dean International and Professor of Global Health at the School of Human and Health Sciences. His current research is on health system research, longitidunal study looking at risk factors for NCDs and migration and health.  His work to broaden global partnerships, develop a successful transnational education portfolio and increase international student recruitment enhances the University of Huddersfield’s reputation as a world-leading institution.

Find out more about Prof Padam Simkhada.