June 30, 2016—Education Ministers will be included in the Ministerial Leadership in Health (MLIH) Program, Acting Dean of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, David Hunter announced today. With the support of Big Win Philanthropy and the Harvard Graduate School of Education the program will now support education ministers, as well as ministers of health and finance, starting in 2017. Since inception, 94 ministers from 53 countries representing a total of 1.83 billion people have participated in the Program.
Dean Hunter said: “We are delighted to join with the HGSE building on our existing partnership with the Kennedy School in expanding on the success of the Ministerial Program.” To reflect the joint partnership of three schools at Harvard the Program will be renamed the Harvard Ministerial Leadership Program.
The MLIH Program was launched in 2012 as a joint initiative of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. The MLIH Program initially focused mainly on health as cornerstone for economic progress and sustainable development. From 2013, finance ministers were included in the Program.
Distinguished former Mexican health minister and University of Miami President, Julio Frenk, who chairs the Advisory Board guiding development of the Ministerial Program, said: “Ongoing independent evaluation shows significant positive impact on ministers participating in the program, such as more assertive leadership, as well as practical health systems benefits, including increases in government investment in health.” Dr. Frenk added: “Big Win Philanthropy has created the opportunity to increase this impact by also engaging education ministers, thereby enabling a more coordinated sectoral approach to human development for economic growth in participating countries.”
Annually, approximately 10-15 finance ministers are invited to Harvard in April. A combined total of about 10-15 of health and education ministers will come to Harvard each June. The curriculum will continue to focus on leadership effectiveness, priority setting, financing and implementation. Health and education ministers will participate in a combination of joint and parallel sessions providing opportunity for examining common areas between the sectors, as well as issues more specific to each sector.
Harvard Graduate School of Education, Dean James Ryan said: “Education ministers play a vital role in the building of a peaceful and prosperous future, and I am thrilled that they will have the opportunity to join with health and finance ministers in this shared work. It’s an honor to be a part of the new Harvard Ministerial Leadership Program, alongside the Chan School of Public Health and the Kennedy School.”
Photo: Gregory Maillot