Institute for International Health and Development - IIHD

What our Students say

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Theresia (Germany), MSc in International Health

“I was really happy to study International Health here and meet people from all over
the world (…). In class and during the group work it was sometimes challenging but
interesting to discuss issues with people from so many different backgrounds. Here
with smaller classes, I had the feeling that people in the course felt at the same level, in a safe environment and thus were motivated to discuss openly, challenge and engage with the material without the fear of losing their ‘face’ or status.

I think the programmes here are ideal for people who have some practical experience in working in international health and want to gain knowledge on the global context, historical background, social, cultural and economic issues, policy and theories.. The modules allow you to take a step back from the practical issues in the field and provide you with the tools necessary to research and analyse matters related to international health.”

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“I am a medical doctor. Before I came here I was working with an NGO focusing on women’s issues. After looking into the problems they were facing, I wanted to get some skills to help them more effectively. Maternal health isn’t really on the development agenda in my country.

My experience here really opened my way of thinking, broadened my mind. I’ve
learnt how things are interrelated – how social factors can contribute to health
outcomes. You get an insight into the debates in international development here.
Now with all this knowledge I’ve been provided with, I hope to return and apply these skills. My work will become more involved in community development and less focused on the biomedical factors only.

I appreciated the style of teaching here since it is so student-centred. You are allowed to express yourself and encouraged to go beyond what the lecturers tell you, to develop new ideas, discuss and debate.

I would encourage friends to come here because even though the courses are challenging, life itself is full of challenges. The way the programmes are designed here you gain insight into so many different fields. You may be following an MSc in Population and Reproductive Health but you delve into subjects like social development, research, project design etc."

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“Here many postgraduate students from all over the world come together and share
their experiences. When I came here I saw that the problem in my country is the same as in other countries but the solutions are different. Through the group work with my colleagues, I gained so much insight into their experiences. When I wanted to find out about something in a different country, I would just ask some of my colleagues and find out about the many issues affecting them.

What I’ve learned here is that the solution to working on problems must be developed by the people who are part of the culture of the country that is affected. Difficulties arise when large organisations want to implement development policies across several countries.. each country has its own way of dealing with things.”

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“My expectations from this course were to gain a deeper insight into policies and
driving forces behind policies and to develop tools in order to effectively work in
development. Most frameworks and policies for development are developed in the
West and I wanted to gain a more appropriate understanding of development.
After the course, I now understand more about risk environments, financial
constraints and the different obstacles that developing countries face when
implementing their policies.

My future plan is to go to Zambia to coordinate activities related to HIV/ AIDS. I hope to convince donors to not only concentrate on one prevention strategy but to take into account other contextual issues like gender, poverty, political constraints. The course here gave me a broader overview and a deeper understanding of issues related to social cohesion, risk environments, dominance of agency rhetoric and political and financial constraints.

Before starting this course I was working for 15 years, so entering the study environment again was almost like wearing a corset: it lifts you, helps you but sometimes also pinches you. It was a really rich time.. a privilege to study here, to meet different people from so many different countries.. to watch, to listen, to know,
to compare and to learn.”

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“It was a lot of work and often quite difficult but it’s a great advantage to take the
course. You’re not focused on one area but broaden your horizon. I’ve done things on health policy, gender, ethics – things I wouldn’t have considered earlier.

What I’ve learned here at IIHD is that you can empower people to speak. You have rights as a patient and we can encourage them to speak about their context and concerns.”

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“The need of evidence-based policy development, the importance of assuring the sustainability of programmes, the significance of including gender sensitivity in programmes… these are all issues that need to be taken account of anytime development policies are implemented. That is the main essence of what the MSc
in International Health has taught me.

I hope to return to Ethiopia and work within the health care delivery system.
With the tools I learnt here, I hope my input will ensure that the system can be
developed towards becoming more sensitive according to the precise needs of
the population… according to the precise existing problem so that services are
matched up to what is really happening.

The IIHD staff are very friendly and helpful, especially in relation to the many
cultures that they deal with. Here it is easy to talk to your lecturers and discuss
your difficulties. In my country the relationship between students and lecturers is
distanced in comparison.”

Naana (Ghana), MSc in International Health

"Overall the programme is a very exciting experience.. interacting with my colleagues and the staff, having debates and discussions. It’s quite different from where I come from. There we don’t challenge the status quo of the lecturers. Here you are encouraged to analyse and bring up your own ideas.. I had the feeling that everything I say really counts.

I’m used to a type of didactic learning, the lecturer comes and gives you information and you basically swallow what they say, here you search for the information but your provided with all the tools that ensure that your search is sound and solid. You’re groomed for the international world.

The course here opened another door for me. Coming from a biomedical background with a purely curative focus, I now understand that health is not just about people getting ill, there’s so much more. I’m totally going to speak another language now. We need to look beyond the provision of health and look at the determinants of health. This course has helped me look beyond my office.

As an example for how I have changed in thoughts, I was thinking about the huge amount of money I spend in my job in Ghana, buying anti snakebite serum. After this course I started reflecting on what we could do for the people that come in with snake bites during the rainy season. We could collaborate with the other sectors in health to develop some kind of training for people to protect themselves against snake bites. Maybe even arrange the provision of rubber boots etc. If we really collaborated with the partners we could do better for our people.

I’m just so excited when I go back – I told colleagues of mine back home that I’m a social development person now.. no longer only focused on the curative side of things but looking beyond the patient who sits in front of you.

It’s a very warm environment in terms of the people. It’s so nice for me to sit and chat with the lecturers – it’s so personalised. You are allowed and encouraged to express your opinion and the interaction in class is amazing. You learn so much even from your colleagues."

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Eric Phiri (Malawi), MSc Social Development and Health

"I did an undergraduate degree in my home country of Malawi and went straight on to work for the Centre for Agricultural Research at the University of Malawi. From there, I moved to World Vision Malawi, where I worked as a Community Development Programme Manager for seven years and then as Monitoring and Evaluation Manager for
several months.

During my nine years of working, I was exposed to the enormous challenges which the poor face in their fight against poverty – health being one of these challenges. These challenges impinged greatly on all the efforts I had put into the work that I had done and I wanted to deepen my understanding of the poor, hoping to bring to light the root
cause of poverty. I believed that by doing the course at Queen Margaret, I would hopefully find a solution.

The course opened my eyes to International Issues that have either a direct or an indirect impact on the socio-economic state of the poor, especially in developing countries. The lecturers were very supportive and made my study and stay in Edinburgh very memorable.

Currently, I am doing Community Development Consulting in Malawi and Southern Africa (and hoping to expand the market to the whole of Africa). The course has helped me in so many ways: for example, it has increased my confidence and I have an expanded my views of issues that concern the poor.

Before coming back to Malawi, I secured a place PhD study at Queen Margaret University and hope to start back there soon once I secure a scholarship. I appreciate the time I spent studying this course and I would like to encourage people, especially from developing countries to do it too. Your way of looking at/handling the poor will not be the same!"

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