An interview with Professor Nora Colton

What is your role and what does it involve?

The UCL Global Business School for Health (GBSH) is part of the UCL's academic strategy and forms part of the UCL East development in Stratford, London. It provides UCL the opportunity to help create and support leading professionals from various health-related backgrounds in developing their capabilities and skill-sets. There has never been a more important time for excellent health leadership and management to meet the challenges of health care delivery and improved population health on a global scale in the 21st century.

As Director, I will provide the academic leadership needed to build on existing work to date, develop the strategy, maintain cross-Faculty engagement, and translate this initiative into an exciting education and research agenda that delivers on the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goal of Universal Health Coverage worldwide. The GBSH supports improvements in health system decision-making at clinical, operational, strategic, and policy levels. I will not only be working with colleagues across UCL and the Faculty, but various external stakeholders to develop degree programmes, executive education and research projects that build capabilities and capacities of healthcare professionals around the world.

How long have you been at UCL, and what was your previous role?

I have been at UCL since April 2018. I have had two roles at UCL.

I have been the Pro-Vice Provost (Postgraduate Education), working with the Vice Provost for Education and Student Affairs and his team to ensure an excellent Postgraduate Taught Students (PGT) experience at UCL. In this role, I have led a strategic review of the PGT portfolio and improved the PGT new programme approval process. More recently, I led several pan-institutional education projects and committees to ensure the student experience as we moved to remote teaching and learning at UCL.  
        
I am also the founding Joint Director of Education between UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. I led the implementation of the Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields' global education strategy, which I developed with colleagues in both organisations. This work has included an innovative approach to programme development using a backward design process to programme development where we begin with student outcomes and employer stakeholder engagement for designing curriculum. I have had a broad remit that included interacting and supporting the clinical staff at the hospital and the Institute of Ophthalmology scientists to develop education and training programmes for CPD/short courses as well as PGT degree programmes. I also oversaw innovation in online learning, while expanding their education portfolio. 

What are your main ambitions for the UCL GBSH?

I want the School to be a place where individuals from different organisations associated with the health sector can discuss and share best practices in addressing healthcare challenges. I believe that the area of professional education for health professionals is very underdeveloped compared to the need.  The extensive changes that are taking place in the NHS with integrated care and globally in terms of health and healthcare, particularly with the impact of COVID-19, call for CPD/short courses and degrees in health innovations in areas that span not only digital health innovations but patient perspectives and other aspects of leadership, population health management, and unmet clinical needs. There is also an opportunity to bring together a diverse group of stakeholders to broker dialogues across pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, health IT, and leaders in health systems, both clinical and non-clinical.

You're beginning your new role in the middle of a global pandemic. How does becoming Director of GBSH at this moment resonate for you?

The pandemic has emphasised profoundly the health inequalities that have existed for decades. This unacceptable gap in our health systems worldwide has meant that the burden of the pandemic and other types of suffering during this crisis have not been shared equally. Consequently, the mission of the GBSH in terms of embedding and addressing through education and research questions to find solutions around inequalities, value, leadership, innovation, and change in healthcare could not be more relevant and urgent than today.

What do you look forward to in your first year as Director? 

I am excited to take up this role and establish the GBSH through its education programmes, community outreach, and research.  The first year as Director will be critical in terms of understanding the landscape that the GBSH will be a leader in and ensuring that as we begin to engage and interact with the health sector more widely that we are seen as an integral part of impactful engagement both in terms of education and research.

What educational opportunities will be on offer at GBSH? 

We will have a suite of PGT programmes and our flagship programme which will be the Global MBA in Health.  The School will also have opportunities for Postgraduate Researchers and Early Career Researchers.  There is also a desire to have executive education on various themes within health business and management.

Name one thing that makes you feel proud to work at UCL?

The amazing people at UCL who drive forward cutting-edge research and education that makes a difference to society.  It's a place that really pushes you to be your best. 

What might people be surprised to learn about you?

That I speak, read, and write Arabic.