By Erin Jester
For the first time, University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions undergraduate students traveled to Greece in May to deepen their understanding of the One Health framework and forge cross-cultural connections.
Michael von Fricken, Ph.D., director of the One Health Center of Excellence and an associate professor in the Department of Environmental and Global Health, along with graduate research assistant Samantha Andritsch, led a group of 15 students on a two-week visit designed to introduce the One Health framework while fostering global collaboration and cross-cultural engagement.
The inaugural One Health Education study abroad trip took place in Ioannina, Greece, and was a collaboration between UF and the University of Ioannina. The focus of the immersive academic experience was understanding the interconnectedness of human, animal and environmental health — the basis of the One Health concept.
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The curriculum included a case competition, with students from each university working together in teams to solve multidisciplinary problems. In addition to the academic component, the program encouraged students to get to know their peers in the participating universities, laying the groundwork for sustained international collaboration in One Health education and research.
Another focus of the trip was cultural immersion. The UF group took excursions to Zagori, Corfu and Athens, which organizers said offered students a deeper appreciation for Greek history, culture and society, further enriching their global perspective and fostering a holistic approach to health and education.
Bachelor of Public Health student Ava Davis wrote in a reflection assignment that in addition to formal sessions, she learned more about Greek cultural identity from a conversation with an Ioannina student.
“Forming connections with people who come from different places and have varying experiences is invaluable and will strengthen my collaboration, understanding and empathy,” Davis wrote. “This can easily be applied to the concept of One Health and making sure that we are taking others’ experiences into account when aiming to solve a problem.”
Among the highlights students listed were learning about the history of a culture much older than their own, examining residents’ relationship to the natural environment, interacting with locals and being in the field alongside scientists — an opportunity, some students noted, that is unusual for undergraduates.
After a day of birdwatching and butterfly catching in Corfu, Bachelor of Health Science, Communication Sciences and Disorders student Nina Burt wrote, “The longer we were out there, the more I wanted to stay.”
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Source: College of Public Health & Health Professions