UMD School of Public Health's Department of Health Policy and Management recently hosted the spring 2025 Universitas 21 International Health Research Exchange (U21HREx) Symposium, bringing together health scholars and practitioners from Ireland, Germany and the United States to address critical issues in health systems strengthening and resilience.
The symposium was coordinated by Dr. Negin Fouladi, U21HREx chair and associate clinical professor in the Department of Health Policy & Management. The U21HREx initiative has played a critical role in achieving the No. 1 online MPH in Public Health Practice and Policy and No.5 MHA program in the nation.
The three-day symposium, held April 28-30, featured a diverse program of panel discussions, special topic seminars and professional development workshops designed to foster cross-national collaboration and knowledge exchange among students, researchers and health professionals.
The U21HREx community of practice is a sustainable, interdisciplinary training and education network between University of Maryland, University College Dublin, Ireland and University of Birmingham, UK, and has been highlighted in several impact reports.
"Since 2021, the network has had a profound impact on developing cross-national research and practice in health and social care and facilitating professional development of students and early career researchers," said Fouladi.
"It was inspiring to see the innovative steps other countries are taking to strengthen their health systems."
Visiting Maryland's lawmakers
The symposium's international delegation had the opportunity to visit the Maryland General Assembly, meeting with state legislators and representatives from the Maryland Department of Health and Health Service Cost Review Commission to discuss global public health issues and explore comparative evaluations across nations.
"It was an honor to welcome researchers from Ireland and the School of Public Health at the University of Maryland to Annapolis," said Maryland Delegate Deni L. Taveras.
"The discussions were impactful and eye-opening—it was inspiring to see the innovative steps other countries are taking to strengthen their health systems, while also recognizing areas where we can all continue to grow."
Busola Odubayo, '25, a student in the online MPH- Public Health Practice and Policy program, agreed.
"I really enjoyed learning about the delegates' work and priorities, especially hearing Del. Deni Tavares' perspective on the impact of the COVID emergency, and her continued advocacy for immigrant communities in PG county," said Odubayo.
Broad topics and rich discussions
The symposium addressed a broad range of health topics, including commercial determinants of health, health emergencies response, media's role in public health discourse and change management in health services implementation. Presentations featured contributions from Fulbright scholars from Ireland, including Kate Frazer and Conall Ó Fátharta, alongside other international experts.
Jason Nunes, chief of staff for Taveras, observed: "I appreciated the rich discussions that emerged from a global perspective. It was encouraging to find shared priorities and explore new partnerships with this international coalition committed to advancing public health."
The event highlighted the value of global learning and interdisciplinary approaches to complex health challenges. Invited speaker Shane Hatchett from Advent Solutions reflected: "This spring symposium was a fantastic reminder of the multi-sectoral nature of public health. Hearing from presenters about issues ranging from forced institutionalization to research integrity reminds me that public health practice requires interdisciplinary awareness and a strong commitment to excellence."
Supporting student development
The U21HREx community of practice continues to build on its established foundation of international collaboration, with a particular focus on supporting the professional development of students and early career researchers in health and social care fields.
"U21HREx has provided immensely valuable opportunities…We are being afforded a fabulous space to build on our training to help tackle global and local problems," said Phil Gordon, a doctoral candidate with SPH's Department of Health Policy and Management who has been active with the network for several years.
"[Participating in the symposium] reminded me that, no matter the structure of the health system, some problems are shared across the board, but so are the solutions, and having the ability to collaborate internationally makes
us all a step closer to reaching those solutions," said Lejla Heric-Safadi, '27, a student in the online MPH-Public Health Practice and Policy Program.
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For more information about U21HREx and upcoming activities, contact Dr. Negin Fouladi at fouladi@umd.edu or follow @U21_HREx on X/Twitter.
Edited from this Maryland Global article.