Home

GK Fellowship Program

Goals

The purpose of the GK Fellowships is to help to build the people’s health movement globally. (More about GK)

It does this by providing opportunities for forward looking younger health activists from around the world to:

  • broaden their horizons; gain experience in different settings of struggle;
  • gain practical experience related to the core themes of the IPHU course through participating in relevant projects and programs including primary health care programs, advocacy activities related to trade, and projects focused on the right to health;
  • contribute to the work of the host organisation through project work undertaken as part of the fellowship; and
  • take time out to reflect, rebuild and re-commit.

    • Program
    The 2007 GK Fellowships provide for three months study and field work based in Gonoshasthaya Kendra at Savar in Bangladesh but with opportunities for further experience in a range of PHM settings in Bangladesh.

    The fellowships commence with participation in the IPHU Short Course, 'The Struggle for Health' (12-23 November 2007) after which fellows embark on a tailored program of experience, field work and study. Fellows undertake projects linked to the work of GK and PHM in Bangladesh as part of their fellowships. These may include evaluation or research projects, communications training, resource development and advocacy planning around the Right to Health.

    At the conclusion of the fellowship, Feb 11-15, 2008 there will be a wrap up workshop to pull together the learnings from the fellowship and evaluate the experience.

    Fellowship contract
    Fellows will negotiate a fellowship contract around which their fellowship program will be structured. The fellowship contract will comprise several sections:
    Background
    This section:

  • summarises each fellow’s personal background (education, employment, experience, activist experience, activist aspirations);
  • summarises the situation of the people’s health movement in their own country and region (organisations, movements, strengths, weaknesses, challenges and opportunities); and
  • summarises the local, national and regional context of their own personal health activist work (the health challenges, movements, opportunities and barriers).

    • Learning priorities
    This section summarises the fellow’s own learning priorities, having regard to their personal activist commitments and the needs of the people’s health movement in their country and region.
    Possible contributions to GK and to the PHM globally
    This section will list some of the particular contributions that each fellow believes that they could make to GK during the course of this fellowship
    Projects and products
    Fellows will commit to a number of projects and products which will:

  • contribute to the work of PHM in their own country and region;
  • contribute to the work of PHM globally; and
  • contribute to the work of GK and PHM in Bangladesh.

    • Fellows will be expected to maintain a journal and report upon their fellowship at the conclusion of the three months.
    Support persons for each fellow
    Negotiation of fellowship contracts and workplans will be the responsibility of the individual fellows and David Legge, the IPHU Coordinator, in consultation with Dr Zafrullah Chowdry. Day to day guidance and assistance for each fellow will be provided by GK and PHM Bangladesh and the IPHU Coordinator.

    Final Workshop
    The final workshop is scheduled for the week commencing 11th Feb 2008.
    This will provide an opportunity to pull together the learnings of the fellows and to appreciate their contributions to the work of GK and the PHM. It will also allow for an evaluation of the fellowship experience. Further information.

    Academic accreditation
    Fellows who are enrolled in formal postgraduate coursework study and who request accreditation of their fellowship training as part of their formal studies will be required to submit assignments for assessment as part of their fellowship program and will be provided with formal certification regarding the standard of the program and of their achievement.
    The IPHU short course study program and the GK fellowships are presented at masters level. The IPHU short course (with assessment) corresponds to one eighth of one full time full year study load. The GK fellowship (with assessment) corresponds to one quarter of one full time full year study load. IPHU does not, at this stage, provide full degree programs.
    It remains the prerogative of the enrolling university to decide whether or not to grant credit for the short course and the fellowship as part of the MPH (or other degrees) they offer. Applicants who are contemplating seeking accreditation of IPHU training towards their MPH are advised to consult with the academic authorities of their enrolling university. Further information can be obtained from the IPHU Coordinator.

    GK Fellows 2007

    Meet the GK Fellows for 2007.