In a significant step towards ensuring long-term viability and sustainability, the European University Alliance for Global Health (EUGLOH) marked an important achievement with the establishment of its independent Secretariat as part of its innovative management model.
The establishment of the EUGLOH Secretariat underscores the commitment of all EUGLOH member institutions to streamlining administrative processes and strengthening the Alliance's organisational structure. It is part of a management model that has been designed to support a comprehensive strategy for the Alliance’s social, environmental and economic sustainability.
As an independent body and central hub of the Alliance, it is the Secretariat’s aim to foster communication and collaboration among stakeholders and to be a constant support for the actions, ideas and objectives of the Alliance. It is there to guard the collective knowledge of the Alliance so that it can continue to evolve and improve. The Secretariat seeks to enable strong relationships, good communication, long-term solutions to shared challenges and a truly interconnected EUGLOH campus.
Emily Helmeid, Secretary-General of the European University Alliance for Global Health, emphasized the significance of the Secretariat and its independence. "The fact that we are succeeding in building a Secretariat that is independent from any of the partner universities is a huge step forward for our Alliance and also for European University Alliances in general. It demonstrates our collective commitment to the long-term sustainability of the Alliance and goes far beyond your average European project," she remarked.
The independence of the Secretariat is ensured by locating its members at different EUGLOH partner universities. While the Secretary-General as well as two other Secretariat members are located at the coordinating institution, Université Paris-Saclay, two further members are located at Universität Hamburg and University of Alcalá respectively.
Through open communication, transparency and accountability, the Secretariat is creating a working environment that enables speedy conflict resolution and problem-solving. The Secretariat is also building a team united by a shared commitment to EUGLOH’s long-term vision, shared work values and a shared desire to harness collective intelligence to build a resilient Alliance.
“It is highly rewarding to have a whole group of people working together every day keeping in mind the objectives of this Alliance and trying to build something bigger and better than what we originally had in mind. It is also highly motivating to work alongside such an incredible group of committed individuals, all working towards these same goals,” Helmeid summed up enthusiastically.