Disciplinary development of global health academic degree programs in China
- Author:
Sun LIXIN
1
,
2
;
Zhao DUAN
;
Xiong SHANGZHI
;
Renne ANGELA
;
Zheng ZHI-JIE
;
Xiang HAO
;
Guo XIAOKUI
;
Tang KUN
;
Hao YUANTAO
;
L.Yan LIJING
Author Information
1. Global Health Research Center,Duke Kunshan University,No.8 Duke Avenue,Kunshan,Jiangsu 215316,China
2. School of Health and Related Research,Regent Court,The University of Sheffield,30 Regent Street,Sheffield S14DA,United Kingdom
- Keywords:
Global health;
Education;
Academic degree;
Discipline;
China
- From:
Global Health Journal
2021;5(2):102-111
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
This study aims to provide a brief overview of the history and development of global health education (GHE) as academic degree programs worldwide,and to identify GHE's development opportunities and obstacles in China.This is a state-of-the-art review of published and unpublished information that described and evaluated disci-plinary development of global health degree programs worldwide,written in English,and published or shared be-tween 1990 and 2020.Data were derived from official websites of leading global health institutions,like "Google Scholar","PubMed",and unpublished information such as presentation files and unpublished manuscripts col-lected from knowledgeable leaders in the field.We retrieved and reviewed a total of 35 articles and a large amount of unpublished information or sources on the internet.Global Health emerged as a new discipline around the end of the last millennium and proliferated in the last two decades in developed nations,especially the United States and the United Kingdom.The development of China's GHE programs was built on China's increasing engagement in global health affairs and research.In 2012,Wuhan University established the first official global health de-partment in China.Several universities such as Peking University and Duke Kunshan University subsequently set up departments or programs to offer undergraduate and postgraduate majors and degrees.The first school-level global health unit was established in Shanghai in 2019.The Consortium of Chinese Universities for Global Health(CCUGH) grew from 10 founding members in 2013 to 25 in 2020.Major desirable attributes "unique" to stu-dents majoring in global health include global-mindedness,health interests,compassion,intercultural sensitivity,and adventurous spirit.Graduates from GHE programs have a diverse set of career choices spanning research,government,not-for-profit,and private sector occupations.We identified a number of strengths,weaknesses,opportunities,and threats to the future development of GHE in China.To ensure sustainable future growth,we advocate addressing the following key aspects:(1) clearer disciplinary distinctions;(2) multidisciplinary col-laborations;(3) public-sector investments;and (4) non-public sectors participation.Amidst China's increasing engagement in health affairs globally and the proliferation of GHE programs in developed nations,China has experienced fast growth in GHE degree programs since 2012 while a number of challenges remain for its future development.
