UCL launches world’s first business school dedicated to health

The new school (UCL GBSH) will address issues seen in the global health sector such as labour shortages and gender inequality in leadership, as well as other challenges brought to the fore by the pandemic. This includes aging populations, increases in non-communicable diseases, inefficiencies, gender inequalities in leadership, and rising costs.

The launch of the UCL GBSH comes at a time when the labour force is too small for the growing demand for healthcare. By 2030, it has been predicted that the world will be 15 million health workers short of meeting demand in the global healthcare system.

The UCL GBSH aims to increase the global impact of healthcare delivery and transform healthcare access, experience, and outcomes around the world by empowering healthcare management leaders of the future through high-quality education. The school will do this, not just by increasing the number of people working in healthcare, but by making them comfortable with technology and analytics, and working across multidisciplinary sectors to solve big health challenges. 

Speaking at a launch event held last night at the Olympic Park next to the UCL East campus, Director of the UCL GBSH, Professor Nora Colton said: "This is where business schools need to go. Healthcare management is the future and we need professionals in the health sector who can harness diversity in ways to make meaningful change. We have to think about all those people who can't afford healthcare – they are often the people who need it most.

"This school is a professional school with world-class academics. We want to build the bridges between the public and private health sector to find solutions. This school will be more than just the first, but the best."

The event was also attended by speakers from across UCL including the Provost and senior academics and wider industry partners with representatives from KPMG, Health Education England, Spectrum and the House of Lords.  

Dr Michael Spence, UCL President & Provost, said: “UCL is driven by our mission to solve the world’s most pressing issues so I am proud to announce that we are the first university to launch a new business school dedicated purely to global health.

"With healthcare systems facing unprecedented global challenges such as growing inequality and a rise in non-communicable diseases, I can think of no better time for us to be equipping the next generation of healthcare professionals with the skills to meet these.”

Professor Ibrahim Abubakar (Dean, UCL Population Health Sciences) said: "It is right that UCL with our large and innovative health research and education portfolio and disruptive thinking have established the first health focussed business school. I am delighted with the launch of the UCL Global Business School for Health and look forward to its impact through training of the next generation of health leaders”

The school will offer short courses, executive education, and online and Master’s programmes, including Health Policy and Practice, an MSc in Digital Health and Entrepreneurship, and an MBA Health, which will be welcoming the first cohort in 2022, and many more.

Links

• Professor Nora Colton
• The UCL Global Business School for Health
• UCL Population Health Sciences

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• Professor Nora Colton/UCL 

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