A trans-university center for global health

Can the challenge of improving health engage university faculty and students across all disciplines to more deeply understand the world and its people in order to make it a better place? Faculty and staff at the University of Virginia's (UVa) Center for Global Health (CGH) think it can. The authors argue that by working to understand, teach, and improve the human condition, universities can engage multiple disciplines, help reverse the "brain drain," and even change perspectives.The transuniversity Center for Global Health (CGH) at UVa employs three components for addressing global health issues: (1) scholars: sending UVa students abroad to conduct international fieldwork focused on global health, (2) fellows: inviting international colleagues selected by collaborating institutions abroad to work and train at UVa and return to become leaders in their home institutions, and (3) curricula: supporting and developing global health-related curricula throughout the university.UVa's CGH is associated with sister CGHs in Fortaleza, Brazil; Hefei, China; Manila, Philippines; Accra, Ghana; and Thohoyandou, South Africa. Work with international colleagues in these centers provides opportunities for bilateral training of the next generations of leaders in global health around the world. Universities are uniquely positioned to enlist multiple disciplines to unravel the complex causes of health disparities, sustain international collaborations, and change students' outlook on the world through overseas experiences. A university that actively supports global health becomes increasingly internationalized, grounded in scientific excellence, and committed to addressing the most pressing issues humanity faces today.