Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG) is hosting a group of more than 30 Emerging Voices (EV) 2020 for a face-to-face training programme on November 22-28, 2021, titled ‘Emerging Voices for Global Health (EV4GH) 2020: Emergence During a Global Pandemic’.

A partner institute of EV4GH, MBRSG will be hosting a total of 60 attendees representing all six World Health Organisation (WHO) regions, and including several EV alumni who will be joining the programme as facilitators to share the insight and expertise they have gained from previous engagements as Emerging Voices with the EV4GH 2020 generation.

The training is moderated and led by Dr. Immanuel Azaad Moonesar, Associate Professor of Health Administration and Policy at MBRSG and President of the Academy of International Business’ Middle East and North Africa Chapter, with Mona Mostafa, Assistant Professor at MBRSG, also taking part. High-profile attendees and speakers are scheduled to join the event, namely, Prof. Dina Balabanova from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Prof. Wim Van Damme from Antwerp’s Institute of Tropical Medicine, along with several speakers from the WHO’s Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO) and its Office for the South-East Asia Region (SEARO), in addition to MBRSG faculty members.

“The Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government has a mission to train and educate leaders to spearhead constructive change and modernisation efforts in their government organisations, which span a multitude of sectors,” said MBRSG’s Dean Prof. Raed Awamleh. “The health industry, in particular, has been thrust into the spotlight over the past two years by the global COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the need for robust and proactive health policies supported by accurate, in-depth research. With this programme, MBRSG is channelling its training and academic capabilities to support the initiative in its objective to coach knowledgeable and highly qualified health leaders.”

Dr. Immanuel Azaad Moonesar noted that: “The Emerging Voices for Global Health initiative has been a springboard for bold and calculated health sector policies, lending significant support for research into the industry for the past decade, and training future leaders to be Emerging Voices for the healthcare sector. Engaging young health policy researchers and academics from all over the world in the EV4GH initiative is critical for training and empowering future health ambassadors. Participants from over 35 different nationalities – the majority of whom coming from low-to-middle-income countries – took part in the MBRSG programme, which offered them unparalleled opportunities for capacity development, research collaborations, and national and international partnerships.”

A total of 30 sessions make up the agenda for the seven-day programme, including Facilitator Groups – which are meetings where attendees get to know one another and discuss various relevant topics – and panel discussions titled ‘Big Talks’, covering governance, economic forces, corruption and health, health systems in fragility, and environmental forces, in addition to training workshops and webinars. Participants will also have the opportunity to visit local health facilities to explore Dubai’s health system and immerse themselves in Emirati culture.

Learning objectives from the programme include developing writing and presentation skills; boosting networking opportunities and proficiencies; technical training and use of social media and other communication platforms to disseminate research; and introducing and supporting content from emerging health system researchers – and other health system actors – covering global health governance, health policy, and other topics related to the theme of the 6th Global Symposium on Health Systems Research.

Also on the list of objectives is supporting participants to develop the necessary skills to publish in journals, global health blogs, or on social media, and to communicate more effectively on the global stage. EV4GH aims to present and engage in a pre-conference with senior researchers and policymakers; facilitate participation and networking of EVs with other emerging and senior health systems professionals, researchers, policy makers, and experts; and allow EV alumni to engage in capacity building, research collaborations, and national and international partnerships.

Participants in the programme ultimately become part of the Emerging Voices for Global Health network – a global network of members that, among other activities, provides curated information on workshops, courses, and conferences.

Emerging Voices for Global Health (EV4GH) is an innovative multi-partner blended training programme that includes face-to-face and virtual training for young, promising, and emerging health policy and systems researchers, decision-makers, and other health system professionals with an interest in becoming influential global health voices and local change makers.

In 2020, EV4GH marked its 10-year anniversary, having graduated seven cohorts with a total of 300 Emerging Voices, representing close to 60 countries in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin, North, and Central America.

The Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government is the first research and teaching institution focusing on governance and public policy in the Arab world, offering academic and training programmes that aim to train future leaders and prepare them to meet public administration and policy challenges across the region. Courses are developed and delivered by a diverse group of experts, scholars, academics, and researchers.