The School congratulates Dr Margaret Chan, the former Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) and esteemed SSHSPH alumna (Class of ’85, MSc Public Health and Occupational Medicine) on being appointed the inaugural Dean of Vanke School of Public Health at Tsinghua University.
Assuming the role and responsibilities as Dean, Dr Chan and the School’s list of distinguished faculty will focus on training the next generation of leaders to shape and strengthen the public health policy in China. The newly established school will also contribute towards China’s public health emergencies and prevention of infectious diseases.
Prior to this new appointment, Dr Chan was appointed as a member on the Council of Advisors of the Boao Forum for Asia. She was also involved in the Task Force on Fiscal Policy for Health to address the expansive and growing health and economic concerns of non-communicable diseases globally. During her career serving as the Director-General of WHO from 2007 to 2017, Dr Chan has led the organisation to combat international health emergencies such as the influenza pandemic, Ebola and Zika outbreaks. She was also applauded for her efforts in promoting universal health care and prioritising women’s health.
In recognition of her contributions and outstanding work in advancing public health, Dr Chan was awarded an Order of the British Empire by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom in 1997. She was also conferred the Prince Mahidol Award in the field of public health by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand in 1999, for her leadership in the control of the outbreak of avian influenza in Hong Kong.
The SSHSPH community extends its heartiest congratulations to Dr Chan and wishes her every success in her new leadership position.
Read more on the announcement here.
(Image from WHO, copyright: WHO/Chris Black)