TOIVONEN DE GONZALES: Global South Event and Workshops, 15 October 2019

Global South Event gathered about 20 Global South researchers from different disciplines, mainly form UTU, to discuss project ideas related to the Global South context. The event was organized by UTU Global South Network and UTU Research Funding Unit, 15 October.

After opening words, the visiting lecturer Professor Adebola Adedimeji (Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine) from New York gave an interesting speech on current Global Health Research: what is needed, where the major knowledge gaps exist, and how the Einstein College is responding to these needs.

The workshop discussions were fruitful, and several good ideas were born. Each group summarized the discussions at the end of the event. The Sustainable Intensification in Africa –group had brainstormed project ideas for the EU call on this topic. The Health and Geospatial research –group had inspiring ideas on how to combine health and GIS data for different purposes, for example, to find out what are the main obstacles in access to health care among the most vulnerable populations. The third group discussed the performance of the institutions channeling climate funds. It was concluded that several challenges exist in current evaluation processes, and it is highly important to develop proper methodologies to make the funding allocations and institutional processes more transparent.

The event was a good start for further discussions and events to be organized by the GS network to foster multidisciplinary research in the Global South context and at the University of Turku.

JOHANNA TOIVONEN DE GONZALES