Earlier this month, the Eck Institute for Global Health hosted the Inaugural Regional Global Health Case Competition on the University of Notre Dame campus. The event was based on the Emory Global Health Case Competition model and provided a unique opportunity for graduate and undergraduate students to come together to promote awareness of and develop innovative solutions for 21st Century global health challenges. While the competition uses a similar format as a business school case competition, it is unique in its requirement for students to work in multidisciplinary teams to analyze and present a solution for a current global health issue.
Four multidisciplinary teams composed of undergraduate, graduate and professional students from the University of Notre Dame, the University of Michigan, and Northwestern University participated in the competition. Their challenge was to 1) assess the potential for a cholera epidemic in Bangladesh, and 2) take preemptive action for prevention and treatment of cholera throughout the country. The case was released on January 26, giving students only a week to prepare. Students assembled on campus to finalize their proposals on Friday, February 2, and presented on Saturday, February 3.
Solutions were judged on the teams’ synthesis of the problem, an evidenced-based, culturally appropriate, feasible, innovative, and sustainable proposal and the teams’ presentation delivery and professionalism. Solutions were presented to a panel of expert judges consisting of University of Notre Dame faculty and global health professionals: Erik Janowsky, PhD, United States Agency for International Development, Shaun Lee, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Sarah Bosha, LLBS, LLM, Eck Institute for Global Health, and Sean Moore, PhD, Research Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame. The judges awarded first place to the Northwestern University team and applauded all participants for their innovative thinking, integrative solutions, and most of all, their passion and commitment to global health.
The Eck Institute for Global Health is a university-wide enterprise that recognizes health as a fundamental human right and endeavors to promote research, training, and service to advance health standards for all people, especially people in low and middle-income countries, who are disproportionately impacted by preventable diseases.
Contact Ashley Scott, 574-631-9227, ascott12@nd.edu