Masterclass Presentations – “Food Failures and Futures” with Laurie Garrett & CGH/NUIM student discussions

Thomas Strong, NUI, Maynooth

Laurie Garrett: Masterclass in Dublin, October 2011

What will be the biosocial dynamics of the next global pandemic? What are the shortcomings of disease-specific, ‘vertical’ intervention models of development aid for health? How will emerging economies in China, India, and Brazil change the politics of development aid in coming decades? Staff and students from NUI Maynooth and Trinity College discussed these and other pressing questions during a visit to Ireland on 30 September and 1 October by renowned global health scholar and author Laurie Garrett.  Garrett is Senior Fellow for Global Health at the Council on Foreign relations and the author of many well known works including The Coming Plague and Betrayal of Trust.  The Combat Diseases of Poverty Consortium, lead by NUI Maynooth, hosted Garrett on her first visit to Ireland.  Garrett gave a lecture in Maynooth on her recent work on the public health implications of the response to the 9/11 and anthrax attacks in the United States.  Then, on 1 October, Garrett conducted a special masterclass at Trinity’s Long Room Hub cooperatively arranged by CDPC and the Centre for Global Health at Trinity College Dublin.  Students in postgraduate programmes in anthropology and development (NUIM), immunology and global health (NUIM), and global health (TCD) took part.  Somewhat nervous students were invited to present synopses of several of Garrett’s recent global health publications and to put questions to her.  All involved judged the format of the masterclass a success and thanked Garrett for her generous participation.