On Friday 12 December 2025, KIT Institute celebrated the graduation of participants of the Core Course in Public Health and Health Equity , an internationally oriented and academically grounded programme at the heart of the Master’s in Public Health and Health Equity. 

The Core Course is jointly delivered by KIT Institute and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and is as part of the Master’s programme accredited by the NVAO, ensuring a high academic standard that is firmly embedded in real-world public health practice. Building on KIT’s long-standing tradition of more than six decades of global health education, the course is designed for professionals who want to strengthen their ability to contribute meaningfully to public health practice, policy and research, with a strong focus on health equity. 

Over more than three months, participants engaged in an intensive curriculum combining academic theory, applied public health tools and experiential learning. Through lectures, group work, case studies, simulations and assessments, participants were challenged to connect evidence and theory to concrete public health challenges across diverse contexts. 

Learning from theory, practice — and from each other 

This year’s cohort brought together 39 participants from 21 countries, representing a wide range of professional, cultural and geographical backgrounds. A defining strength of the course was its integrated learning environment, where academic content and practical application were continuously enriched by exchange between participants with experience in different health systems and settings. 

The international character of the course is reflected not only in the participant group, but also in the diverse team of facilitators, who bring academic expertise as well as professional experience from different regions of the world into the classroom. 

“Global health education needs spaces where different voices, experiences and realities can truly meet,” said Elaine Teixeira Rabello, Programme Coordinator for the Master’s in Public Health and Health Equity. “Learning about health equity starts with recognising positionality, listening to one another, and making room for perspectives that are not always centred in traditional academic settings.” 

Classroom discussions often mirrored the realities of public and global health practice: analytically rigorous, sometimes challenging, and deeply meaningful. This combination of theory, practice and international exchange is a core element of the Core Course. 

Preparing professionals for impact in public and global health 

During the graduation ceremony, 15 participants received their diploma certificates. The remaining participants will continue their studies within the Master’s programme and are expected to graduate in August 2026. 

Throughout the course, participants developed essential competencies for working in today’s complex public and global health landscape, including critical analysis, evidence-informed decision-making, interdisciplinary collaboration and the ability to engage with questions of equity, power and responsibility. 

“The strength of this course lies in the combination of solid academic foundations with a strong focus on equity and real-world application,” said Lisanne Gerstel, Team Lead Education at KIT Institute. “Participants are challenged to think beyond their own country or professional background and to work together on complex health issues that cannot be solved in isolation.” 

The Core Course in Public Health and Health Equity can be taken as a stand-alone programme or as part of the Master’s in Public Health and Health Equity, and also contributes to postgraduate training pathways for physicians in global health in the Netherlands. 

Interested in joining? 
The Core Course is offered twice a year and welcomes participants from diverse professional and geographical backgrounds who are motivated to combine academic depth with practical impact in public and global health. 

Learn more about the Core Course in Public Health and Health Equity and upcoming editions via the programme pages:

Core Course in Public Health and Health Equity
Master in Public Health and Health Equity