Dr Regina Muphy Keith and MSc students have worked together to write the first Global Public Health Nutrition MSc newsletter, which launched on 20 September 2023. With students and alumni as co-creators, the newsletter promotes job opportunities and highlights achievements of students, alumni and colleagues within the Westminster Global Public Health Nutrition community.
To create the newsletter, the Students as Co-Creators team set up meetings with Westminster alumni and current students to gather information and create a list of alumni who could share their stories and experiences, offering lessons and words of advice to students yet to embark on their careers.
Global Public Health Nutrition MSc alumna Chhavi Bansa shared her career journey in the newsletter. Thanks to her knowledge obtained at Westminster, she now works as a child health policy and advocacy advisor in the International Development sector.
Another alumnus who shared his journey is Francis Danso. After leaving Westminster he became a Nutrition Support Coordinator with Action Against Hunger thanks to a job posted by Senior Lecturer and Global Public Health Nutrition MSc Course Leader Dr Muphy Keith. He has now gone on to start a research department in a hospital in his homeland of Ghana, where he now oversees a team of 15 researchers.
About his time at Westminster, he writes: “Given the opportunity, I would unequivocally choose to pursue this course again, as it has been instrumental in shaping my career and enabling me to make meaningful contributions to global public health and humanitarian efforts.”
As well as giving alumni a platform to inspire students with their experiences, the newsletter also informs them about job and PhD opportunities, useful websites and journals and information about the upcoming World Public Health Congress 2024 which will be hosted at Westminster.
Students who contributed to the newsletter are Fabia Hannan Mone, Mali Price, Zahistha Begum Raj Gafoor, Sania Zerin Juhi, Waiyin Ng (Erica), Robert William Neil Ward, Abass Alasa and Flurunso Bolanle Elizabeth, with Dr Muphy Keith overseeing the production.
On reflection Dr Muphy Keith said: "Our graduates are working around the world, making positive changes daily. Linking them to our present students can help to inspire and support their own career journey, creating an empowering environment for professional growth. Most of our alumni are delighted to be asked to share their journey. We have graduates who are working as Minsters for health and nutrition, advisors in organisations like Save the Children, WHO, UNICEF, World Food Programme, Action against Hunger and School Food Matters. Others have forged new paths integrating nutrition into climate innovative programmes and continuing their academic journey. Every year we bring graduates back to share their experiences as visiting lecturers, strengthening employability and aspirations of our students.
"We are proud to be selected to host the 2024 World Public Health Nutrition Congress between 10-13 June 2024 and are looking forward to our alumni events at the Congress!"
Read the first issue of the Global Public Health Nutrition newsletter.
