The Department of Health Policy & Management at the University of Maryland School of Public Health recently hosted the Spring 2025 Universitas 21 International Health Research Exchange (U21HREx) Symposium, bringing together health scholars and practitioners from Ireland, Germany and the United States to address critical issues in health systems strengthening and resilience. The symposium was coordinated by Dr. Negin Fouladi, U21HREx chair and associate clinical professor in the Department of Health Policy & Management. The U21HREx initiative has played a critical role in achieving the #1-ranked online MPH in Public Health Practice and Policy and #5-ranked MHA program in the nation.
The three-day symposium, held April 28-30, featured a diverse program of panel discussions, special topic seminars and professional development workshops designed to foster cross-national collaboration and knowledge exchange among students, researchers and health professionals.
The U21 Health Research Exchange (U21HREx) community of practice is a sustainable, interdisciplinary training and education network between University of Maryland, University College Dublin, Ireland and University of Birmingham, UK, and has been highlighted in several impact reports. "Since 2021, the network has had a profound impact on developing cross-national research and practice in Health and Social Care and facilitating professional development of students and early career researchers," shared Dr. Fouladi.
The symposium's international delegation had the opportunity to visit the Maryland General Assembly, meeting with state legislators and representatives from the Maryland Department of Health and Health Service Cost Review Commission to discuss global public health issues and explore comparative evaluations across nations.
Maryland Delegate Deni Taveras, who participated in these discussions, remarked: "It was an honor to welcome researchers from Ireland and the School of Public Health at the University of Maryland to Annapolis. The discussions were impactful and eye-opening—it was inspiring to see the innovative steps other countries are taking to strengthen their health systems, while also recognizing areas where we can all continue to grow."
The symposium addressed a broad range of health topics, including commercial determinants of health, health emergencies response, media's role in public health discourse, and change management in health services implementation. Presentations featured contributions from Fulbright scholars from Ireland, including Kate Frazer and Conall Ó Fátharta, alongside other international experts.
Jason Nuñez, chief of staff for Maryland Delegate Deni Taveras, observed: "I appreciated the rich discussions that emerged from a global perspective. It was encouraging to find shared priorities and explore new partnerships with this international coalition committed to advancing public health."
The event highlighted the value of global learning and interdisciplinary approaches to complex health challenges. Invited speaker Shane Hatchett from Advent Solutions reflected: "This spring symposium was a fantastic reminder of the multi-sectoral nature of public health. Hearing from presenters about issues ranging from forced institutionalization to research integrity reminds me that public health practice requires interdisciplinary awareness and a strong commitment to excellence."
The U21HREx community of practice continues to build on its established foundation of international collaboration, with a particular focus on supporting the professional development of students and early career researchers in health and social care fields. Phil Gordon, Ph.D. candidate with UMD’s Department of Health Policy & Management has been active with the network for several years and shared: "U21HREx has provided immensely valuable opportunities…We are being afforded a fabulous space to build on our training to help tackle global and local problems."
For more information about U21HREx and upcoming activities, contact Dr. Negin Fouladi at fouladi@umd.edu or follow @U21_HREx on X/Twitter.