Dr. Heide Weishaar, senior public health researcher at RKI
RSU Institute of Public Health and Germany’s Robert Koch Institute (RKI) are exploring collaboration to enhance public health capacity worldwide. Dr Heide Weishaar, senior public health researcher at RKI, highlighted the institute’s focus on capacity building in global health research, emphasising scientific knowledge, international collaboration, and professional development.
Capacity building, as defined by the UNDP, is the process through which individuals, organisations, and societies develop capabilities to achieve long-term development goals. RKI’s ZIG2 unit implements this through knowledge and skills development, infrastructure strengthening, partnerships, and empowerment initiatives.
Key initiatives include the Berlin Global Health PhD Programme, which offers structured doctoral training for global health professionals, as well as engagement opportunities for interns and students in epidemiology programmes.
Two notable projects are CARe, which supports applied public health research and young African scientists, and Sealing the Leaky Pipeline, an initiative promoting women’s leadership in global health research in Germany.
Dr Weishaar stressed that building research and leadership capacity is essential for sustainable development, effective health policy, and advancing global public health outcomes.
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