On February 14, 2025, a promising step toward strengthening global health collaboration was taken as Prof. Dr. Ari Natalia Probandari and Dr. Vitri Widyaningsih from Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) in Indonesia, visited ESHPM to deepen its ties in global health research and education.
The visit resulted in four key areas of collaboration:
ESHPM researchers will be invited to join UNS's doctoral research seminars to share insights on methods and data analysis. Notable examples include:
- A food voucher experiment in Solo, Indonesia (Rieger & Mulyaningsih) showing impact on adolescent nutrition.
- A national study on healthcare utilization led by Dr. Igna Bonfrer and Dr. Pugo Sambodo.
These engagements aim to strengthen local capacity in both primary and secondary data research.
There is mutual interest in enhancing PhD supervision and research training. A meeting between UNS doctoral students and ESHPM scholars is planned during the iHEA Conference in Indonesia (July 2025). Special focus will be on supporting students using qualitative methods by connecting them with governance and theory experts at ESHPM.
Prof. Ari is already co-supervising ESHPM research on Indonesia’s pharmaceutical systems and has offered further support for ESHPM scholars working on topics like pandemic preparedness and health systems governance in Indonesia.
Both institutions aim to co-develop proposals for international funding. ESHPM contributes strengths in policy, economics, and law, while UNS brings expertise in implementation research, disease-specific studies, and healthcare practices.
Potential funding sources include:
- From the Netherlands: Erasmus+, NWO, and philanthropic donors
- From Indonesia: LPDP, Kemenristekdikti, and BPJS Kesehatan
This initiative marks the start of a structured, equitable global health partnership—focused not just on collaboration, but on local capacity-building and shared academic growth.
- More information
The Rotterdam Global Health Initiative (RGHI) is the academic network of global health research and education at Erasmus University Rotterdam nd Erasmus MC. Their mission is to address and alleviate health inequalities worldwide, contributing to improved living conditions and advancing high-quality, equitable healthcare globally.
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