How to Promote Health & Development: Policy Briefs
This is a selection of policy briefs written by TUM students as part of the Master's and Bachelor's course in "Global Health" and in "International Development, Poverty and Inequality" or based on their completed MSc or BSc theses.
1. The Fetal State of Male Contraception - Social, Economic and Structural Hurdles of Development
Ophelia Wach is a graduate of “Politics and Technology” (M.Sc.) at the TUM School of Social Sciences and Technology, where she studied feminist and global justice movements. In her master thesis, she examined barriers to the development of novel testicular contraceptives (“male contraception”). Her curiosity in science and technology studies led her to the TUM Graduate school, where she oversees international research project funds. Ophelia is also project manager of the initiative “100 Voices – One Planet” which portraits the effects of climate change on people’s lives in 100 countries.
Copyright: TUM/Astrid Eckert
2. Improving Healthcare in Pakistan
Symoni Stagaki is a first year student of the M.Sc. program, Politics and Technology. Prior to joining TUM, she completed her bachelor's degree in Political Science and Philosophy at LMU Munich. Among others she has interned with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece and her research interests include conflict resolution, global health and environmental migration.
Picture Credit: Simoni Stagaki
3. Addressing Maternal and Child Health in Mali
Freya Liedtke is a 1st year M.Sc. student in “Politics and Technology”. Her work experience at the hospital encouraged her to study B.A. “Politics, Administration and International Relations” at Zeppelin University out of an interest in the German healthcare system and curiosity for potential improvements. During her semester abroad at Sciences Po as well as through internships in a city administration, in public sector consulting and through her work as a student assistant, she expanded her interest in the interaction between politics and economics to achieve society-wide policy goals. Freya Liedtke aims to build on her existing experience to strengthen her knowledge on healthcare systems, global health, and sustainable development during her master’s degree at TUM.
Picture Credit: Freya Liedtke
4. Unpacking the Double Burden - Strategies for Improving Ghana´s Health
Anna Kammerer is a master student in the 1st year of the program "Politics & Technology". Prior to joining TUM, she completed her Bachelor's degree in Geography at the University of Augsburg.
In addition to her studies, she worked as an intern in the office of the vice mayor of Munich and currently as a working student at Siemens in the field of sustainability. Her research interests lie in Geopolitics and Global Health.
Picture Credit: Anna Kammerer
5. Improving health in South Africa
Ruth Kähler is a master student in the program "Politics and Technology" (M.Sc.) at the TUM School of Governance. After graduating her bachelor in Politics and Geography at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich, her research interest are now in the area of (inter-)national health and social policies with a focus on gender (in-)equality.
Picture Credit: Ruth Kähler
6. Improving Health in Ethiopia
Silvia Biagioli is completing her bachelor's degree in Political Science at the Technical University of Munich, focusing on health economics, health policy and on international political economy. Her research interests lie in global and public health, specifically in the field of prevention of malnutrition and communicable diseases.
Photo Credit: Silvia Biagioli
7. Crucial Measures to Improve Health in Uganda
Juanita Beltran studies the B.Sc. programme Political Science at TUM. Her meta-analysis highlights the burden of disease and underlying risk factors with a special focus on Uganda. In her work, she could also destilate possible pathways to ameliorate the life situation of people.
Photo Credit: Juanita Beltran
8. How to improve overall population health in Ethiopia?
Tong Zhang is a 1st year student in the M.Sc. programme Politics & Technology. Before joining TUM, Tong graduated from "International Politics" at Liaoning University in China and held an internship as an editor in the Xinhua News Agency in China during her gap year.
Photo Credit: Tong Zhang
9. Advancing Living Standards in Burkina Faso: Taking Health, Human Capital and Humanitarian Assistance into account
Friederike Suhr is a master student at the Technical University of Munich, where she also completed her bachelor‘s degree in Political Science (B.Sc.). In her master’s degree in Politics & Technology (M.Sc.) at the TUM School of Governance, she is focusing strongly on quantitative and computational methods. Her research interests lie in the area of global health, ranging from the effects of natural disasters on population health to the consequences of nutrition transitions in sub-Saharan Africa.
Photo Credit: Friederike Suhr
10. Chad’s health system in crisis: Better primary healthcare for communities in Chad
Caroline Beale is currently in her 2nd year of her master’s studies in M.Sc. Politics & Technology. Before studying at TUM, she worked full time at the Food and Agriculture organization of the UN (FAO), where she still works part-time as a communications consultant.
Maddi Erdall is currently in her 2nd year of the M.Sc. in "Sustainable Resource Management" at the TUM campus Weihenstephan. Prior to joining TUM, Maddi has completed her Bachelor's degree at UC Berkeley studying environmental science and hispanic linguistics.
Photo Credit: Maddi Erdalli
12. How to Improve Maternal and Child Health in Somalia
Jessica Dolan is a 2nd year student of the M.Sc. Politics & Technology programme. Her research interests include global health, political polarisation, and climate policy. She currently works part-time at a tech start-up alongside her studies.
