Cultivating resilience and adaptability through hands-on One Health

The University of Global Health Equity‘s (UGHE) One Health Field School (OHFS) in Rwanda exemplifies an experiential approach to education that integrates human, animal, and environmental health. This field-based program engages students in real-world settings such as abattoirs, health centers, and mining sites to confront pressing public health issues, from zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial resistance to food safety and environmental health. Following Kolb's experiential learning model, OHFS equips graduate students to observe, analyze, and apply solutions to complex health challenges, fostering adaptability, resilience, and collaborative problem-solving skills. By bridging classroom theory with practical application, OHFS cultivates leadership and a holistic understanding of health, preparing graduates to navigate the interconnected global health landscape. Through this innovative approach, UGHE aims to train a generation of health professionals capable of addressing crises such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and emerging infectious diseases at the human–animal–environment interface.

Paper Context

Main findings: The University of Global Health Equity’s One Health Field School effectively integrates experiential learning with interdisciplinary collaboration to prepare students for complex global health challenges. By engaging students in real-world settings, the program fosters adaptability, resilience, and leadership in addressing interconnected health issues at the human-animal-environment interface.

Added knowledge: The One Health Field School bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration at the human–animal–environment interface. It builds capacity in future global health professionals to design and implement solutions for real-world health challenges, demonstrating the critical value of field-based, experiential learning in higher education.

Global health impact for policy and action: The One Health Field School serves as a model for interdisciplinary education, promoting an integrated One Health approach. It informs global health policies by emphasizing the importance of equipping professionals with practical skills and holistic perspectives to address emerging health crises such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and food security.