Meet our alumni

Alumni interview: Emily Staaf

With a background in lab-based studies, Emily felt it was time to try something new. A course in global health aroused the interest for public health and healthcare infrastructure, leading to the application to the Master’s Programme in Public Health Science. Emily describes the experience during the programme as fun and rewarding.

– The best part was the diversity. Both that the classmates came from diverse backgrounds and that the courses covered many different topics within the field of public health. I learned to see things from new perspectives, and I gained both practical and theoretical skills that I use today in my work. During the programme the teachers were a useful resource. Whenever I needed help or thought something was extra interesting, I could ask them, and they would put me in the right direction.

Emily did an internship and wrote the thesis at a private consultancy firm, which led to a job as a health economist at the firm.

– I was lucky to get a job at the workplace where I had my internship and wrote my thesis. If I knew what I know today, I would redo the programme since it was fun, interesting, and led me to where I am today. I think that the public health programme suits people who are interested in how the different aspects of public health intersect. The curriculum include medical aspects, but also politics, sociology, ethics, how the different aspects interlink with each other, and how decisions are made.

Quick facts:
Name: Emily Staaf
Age: 26 years
Country of origin: England
Programme and track: Master’s Programme in Public Health Science, 2019-2021.

Alumni interview: Sianga Mutola

With work experience in the Zambian Ministry of Health and as a tutor for several years, Sianga Mutola wanted to upgrade his skills with a master’s education. With a long interest and advocacy for population health and gender equality in Zambia, he found the Master’s Programme in Public Health Science to be an excellent fit.

After being awarded a GU scholarship, he moved to Sweden, became a course representative for his class, and secretary of the Educational Council of Public and Global Health (ECoPGH). He conducted his internship and thesis with a university research group and gained programming and analytical skills that made it possible to follow his passion for doing relevant public health work using quantitative data analysis. Sianga highlights:

– This is an international programme that brings students from all over the world. You not only learn theoretical and practical skills during classes but also from activities outside class. The best part was the way GU runs its programs with a student-centered approach. The faculty try as much as possible to develop skills in students, solve the academic challenges that they face, and encourage interaction among students from different backgrounds. As he explains:

– Public health is interdisciplinary, and it brings people from different professional backgrounds. The program gives you several platforms to stand on. You can do advocacy work, policy analysis, monitoring, evaluation, economic advising, politics, and research. In his current job as a project manager for an adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights project at CARE International in Zambia, he uses much of the knowledge and skills learned during the programme.

As for the future, Sianga is also looking forward to continuing his training with a Ph.D in the field of Global Public Health.

Quick facts:
Name: Sianga Mutola
Age: 36 years
Country of origin: Zambia
Programme and track: Master’s Programme in Public Health Science, 2019-2021.