The Brunel University London’s MSc in Public Health and Health Promotion Course in collaboration with Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology offers a month-long study abroad trip to Ghana, as a chance for students to get practical experience in global public health, at the end of their study modules. Brunel students from various backgrounds visited the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR) on May 6, 2024, to explore the research space in Ghana, learning about the facility, projects and discussing similarities and differences between Ghana and their own contexts.

The students were Dr. Samantha C. Johnson, a medical doctor from Jamaica now working in healthcare investing focused on the global south; Patricia Cardoso de Jesus, a psychologist from Brazil passionate about black women’s rights and mental health; and Josie Opoku, a Ghanaian-Irish scientist passionate about of merging Public Health and biomedicine to bridge the clinical and social gaps within the scientific space.

Professor Nana Anokye, Director of Division of Global Public Health at Brunel led the students. Professor Peter Agyei-Baffour, Head of Health Policy, Management and Economics at KNUST, led the introductions between the students and KCCR, who first sat with Professor Kaveh Mashayekhi, the Scientific Laboratories Head, and other members of the team for a brief introduction and history of the facility.

Subsequently, the Deputy Head of Labs, Dr. Ernest Adankwah, gave a tour highlighting the various areas of the facility, speaking comprehensively about the impact of KCCR’s work on several diseases, such as COVID-19 and Malaria, while also highlighting the collaborative nature of the organization, particularly within the local and global research community. Additionally, Dr. Adankwah gave in-depth information about the vision and objectives of KCCR, and the varying opportunities for collaboration between them and students, researchers, and other organizations.

The visit was successful, as the touring group shared their experiences and perspectives, asking questions and showing interest in the important work being done at KCCR. The KCCR team were delighted to have the students visit and happily shared this experience with them. The group were thanked for visiting and sent off by Professor Kaveh Mashayekhi before ending the visit with a group picture.