The global Bryn Mawr community gathered online in March 2023 for the College’s third annual International Forum, which featured two distinct but complementary programs around the theme of health equity through a global lens.
Session 1 – Alumnae/i Panel: “Health Equity Through a Global Lens”
Wednesday, March 8, 2023, at 8:00 AM EST (UTC -5)
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, communities around the world struggled to address health crises including HIV/AIDS, Ebola, maternal mortality, and others. Panelists will share their first-hand experience in confronting these and other international health crises, and explore the multitude of factors that contribute to health inequity. Alia Luz ’13, Consultant, Health Policy and Service Design (HPS), World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific; Radha Karnad ’03, Chief Medical Officer, HealthX Africa; and Deborah Smith ’74, Medical Director, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, discussed improving public health amid constrained resources, differing cultural norms and behaviors, political turmoil, and access to technological advances.
Session 2 – Faculty and Student 360° Panel: “African Traditions: Healing in a Globalized World”
Friday, March 31, 2023, at 12:30 PM EDT (UTC -4)
Kalala J. Ngalamulume, Professor of Africana Studies and History and Co-Director of Health Studies, and Agnès Peysson-Zeiss, Senior Lecturer in French and Francophone Studies, will lead a discussion with students enrolled in this 360° Course Cluster that explores the ways in which African societies are trying to overcome colonial legacies, promote well-being, and contribute to fashioning our interconnected world. The group also shared reflections on their field experience in Senegal from March 3-12 during the College’s spring break. Student delegates representing the course cluster included Audrey Grace ’25, Alloyah Abobi ’24, Niyati Bantval ’25, and Aissatou Seck ’24 (Haverford College). Sarah Theobald ’12, academic program administrator for the Provost Office, offered an overview of the College’s distinctive 360° Program and its impact on teaching and learning at Bryn Mawr.
The International Forum is an opportunity to gather our vibrant, global community of more than 22,000 alumnae/i and 6,000 parents to:
- Engage in deep, multi-dimensional and substantive discussions around a timely topic
- Exchange ideas and forge greater connections among each other and with the College
- Be inspired to continue making meaningful contributions to the world
More than 300 alumnae/i, parents and friends of Bryn Mawr from 37 countries and a multitude of time zones registered for the live, online events at the inaugural International Forum in 2021.