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Alumnus, Jason Sarfo­‐Annin receives prestigious Fulbright Award to the US

Jason Sarfo‐Annin, an alumnus from St Hugh’s College has received the Fulbright-Nursten Postgraduate Award to enable him to study at Harvard University on one of the most prestigious and selective scholarship programmes operating world-wide.

As a participant, Jason has been selected to undertake a Master of Public Health degree with a focus in healthcare policy and management at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. He plans to better understand how health policy and organisational structure affects the quality and delivery of care to patients in universal healthcare systems, such as the NHS.

Commenting on receiving the award, Jason said: ‘I was surprised and incredibly honoured to be the first ever recipient of the Fulbright-Nursten Award. I’m really looking forward to my time in Boston as a Fulbright Scholar due to the exceptional wealth of healthcare, management and policy knowledge at Harvard, and the opportunity to gain first-hand experience of US culture. I hope that I can use the knowledge I gain to make meaningful contributions in healthcare, that benefit patients.’

Penny Egan, Executive Director, US­‐UK Fulbright Commission said: ‘I know our 2015 cohort will do us great credit during their time in the US and beyond. Only exceptional scholars and students win Fulbright awards: one of the world’s most competitive merit­‐based international scholarships.’

Amy Moore, Director of the Fulbright Awards Programme, added: ‘It’s very rewarding seeing a group of talented, inspirational and very deserving individuals, embark on a life changing trip to the US. This year’s cohort are no exception, and have been carefully selected for their
impressive accomplishments, academic excellence, and a genuine desire to delve into US culture, collaborate with new people and experience new ideas.’  

The US­‐UK Fulbright Commission is the only bi­‐lateral, transatlantic scholarship programme, offering awards for study or research in any field, at any accredited US or UK university. The Commission is part of the Fulbright programme conceived by Senator J William Fulbright in the aftermath of World War II to promote leadership, learning and empathy between nations through educational exchange. Award recipients and summer programme participants will be the future leaders for tomorrow and support the “special relationship” between the US and UK.

The Commission selects scholars through a rigorous application and interview process. In making these awards the Commission looks not only for academic excellence but a focused application, a range of extracurricular and community activities, demonstrated ambassadorial skills, a desire to further the Fulbright Programme and a plan to give back to the recipient’s home country upon returning.

Typical grants include a maintenance allowance and a contribution towards tuition fees where applicable. In addition, Fulbright scholars receive a distinctive support and cultural education programme including: visa processing, a comprehensive pre‐departure orientation, enrichment opportunities in country, a re­‐entry session and opportunity to join our alumni networks.

Dr Jason Sarfo‐Annin, born and raised in East London, undertook his medical training at St Hugh’s College. Jason’s focus is on improving healthcare delivery and patient outcomes, drawing on the wealth of experience he has gained from his time working for the Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management and the Ministry of Health of Ghana. He has also sought to widen his understanding of healthcare systems by undertaking medical placements in South Africa, Australia and Trinidad.

His role in empowering fellow clinicians has lead to him being highlighted as an Emerging Leader within healthcare and the recipient of the Teale Prize from the Royal College of Physicians. More recently Jason has been listed as one of the top 30 future pioneers of Ghana. Outside work, Jason seeks to engage young people and further their educational experiences, having worked as a school governor of a primary school and as a mentor for the Social Mobility Foundation.

During his Fulbright year Jason will pursue a Master of Public Health degree, focused on Health Policy and Management, at Harvard University. He hopes to better understand how universal healthcare, free at the point of need, can be better organised to become sustainable in both high and low resource countries.

Learn more about the US-UK Fulbright Commission on their website.

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