Harris Partners with LSE to Create Global Health Program

The University of Chicago and the London School of Economics (LSE) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding aiming to create the world’s first transatlantic partnership in global health policy and economics.

The collaboration between LSE and the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy is expected to involve the development of a two-year Executive double Master’s program tailored for ambitious, mid-career health professionals on both sides of the Atlantic.

Anticipated to launch in 2018, it will bring together Harris’s expertise in global health and public policy and the LSE’s focus on health economics and policy, according to LSE Health Director Professor Elias Mossialos.

“This partnership will maximize the potential of two of the world’s best universities,” Professor Mossialos said. “Harris is one of the top public policy schools today and LSE Health is the world’s leading center in European health policy.”

“By combining our strengths, Harris and LSE will be uniquely positioned to impact this important field, training the next generation of policy leaders to tackle global health challenges,” says Daniel Diermeier, dean of Harris.

The double Masters program will be taught 50:50 between Chicago and London in compressed, executive-style teaching modules. Students, who will study for two degrees simultaneously, will be exposed to international debates on global healthcare systems in OECD, low and middle income countries.

“This is an extraordinary opportunity to build on the University of Chicago’s strengths in health policy and health outcomes,” says David Meltzer, Professor at Harris and the Department of Medicine, and Chief of Section of Hospital Medicine at University of Chicago Medicine. “We’re excited that Harris and LSE have partnered on this initiative and very much look forward to working together to train the future policy leaders in this field.”

The two universities will also seek to establish a joint research fund to encourage collaborative research in global health and related policy areas.

“This unique collaboration will further enhance LSE’s international reputation and support the upcoming launch of LSE’s Global Health initiative in autumn 2016,” says the School’s Pro-Director for Research, Professor Julia Black.

"While diseases recognise no borders and health systems around the world face similar policy challenges, most health policy education curricula are still forging local field leaders,” says Joseph Antoun, co-director of the Harris’s Center for Health Policy, along with David Meltzer.

“The University of Chicago is pleased to work alongside LSE in leading a first-in-kind Global Master's in Health Policy aimed at developing policy leaders that are most equipped to face and mitigate global healthcare challenges. This fits our mission at the Harris School of Public Policy of improving health policy, among other public policy challenges, around the world."