Global Health Solutions

global health solutions

Global Health Solutions is a chance for students to come together to solve real-world global health challenges.

The University of Copenhagen’s innovation center, UCPH Lighthouse, and School of Global Health will host a 3-day design sprint where students from various disciplines work in teams to come up with innovative solutions to a given global health challenge.

For the first time ever, the most impactful solution will get a spot at the international SDG Olympiad in Paris on 26 September 2024.

The Global Health Solutions design sprint is open for applications for all students from bachelor to PhD level from the University of Copenhagen as well as other educational institutions in Denmark and abroad.

We are excited to announce that the 2024 challenge is done in collaboration with the Green Youth Movement and Actory. The challenge topic is ‘Climate distress among young people’.


Why should you join? 

  • Meet new people and build a network across disciplines
  • Work with real life problems 
  • Get inspiration and learn new skills 

Who can join? 

Global Health Solutions is open to university students from all disciplines. You normally participate in a team of four to five students. Students are expected to cover their own travel and accommodation costs. These will not be reimbursed.

Sign up before August 26

Selection process
After the application deadline the admissions committee will go through all the applications and select the participants. Applicants are encouraged to put energy and care into the motivation-section of the online application, as these are the main selection criteria and basis for team formation.

Furthermore, teams will be formed beforehand based on the application details. We carefully match individuals into teams where we strive for the greatest possible disciplinary diversity as well as composition of person types and accommodate individual wishes and concerns.

APPLICATION

You will receive the result of your application soon after the application deadline.

Note: If you have problems with the application form, please try a different browser, and make sure your files are not too large or the file names do not contain special characters.


Program

  • Saturday, September 7, 09.30-21.00: Case introduction with case provider, innovation methods, teamwork & inspirational talks
  • Sunday, September 8, 10.00-21.00: Teamwork, prototyping & pitch training
  • Monday, September 9, 16.00-20.00: Pitch session with case provider

About the program

Global Health Solutions is a three-day design sprint designed to strengthen university students’ problem-solving competencies and increase their engagement in real-world global health related issues.

Through a combination of  academic skills and innovative thinking, 50 students will collaborate in multidisciplinary teams to come up with the best solution to a case question provided by an external public or private partner. Each team presents their solution as a short oral pitch to a jury panel on the final day.

The design sprint starts with a case presentation by the case provider after which students work in teams to come up with the best solution. The program is dedicated to case-solving and teamwork. Underway, each team will also be given feedback from relevant resource persons. 

The design sprint will provide you with in-depth knowledge about the principles of innovation, entrepreneurship and feasibility, effective communication, stakeholder mapping as well as the complexities within global health innovation and the selected global health challenge such as equity, social justice, individual privileges, power dynamics and the post-colonial influence on global health.

You will acquire the skills to identify, assess and integrate facts and data relevant to the case into the solution as well as apply innovation and problem-solving methods taught during the design sprint. You will learn how to co-create and communicate in a multidisciplinary and international context, and how to pitch your ideas persuasively. 

Contact information

If you have any questions, please write to Sundhub@sund.ku.dk

Read more about last year's Global Health Case Challenge here: Unlocking solutions: Students shine in Global Health Case Challenge to combat infodemics – University of Copenhagen (ku.dk)


I greatly enjoyed taking part in a challenge; it was so nice to learn new practical skills while meeting really nice people in such a short amount of time. It was a great experience to put knowledge from my studies into action and we had a lot of fun working in the team! 

Participant from a global health case challenge, 2023