Ria Ulina

Project Manager, UNFPA Indonesia

Global Health MPH Alumni

I started my career as a nurse, later moving into health education and working with international NGOs on HIV issues among marginalised communities. Since my university days, I had been drawn to sexual and reproductive health, but my work taught me something I hadn’t realised before—the importance of rights and equitable access to services. I began to see how SRH is deeply connected to gender-based violence (GBV), and how barriers, whether distance, cost, stigma, or discrimination, can prevent women and girls from getting the care they need. I wanted to understand the bigger picture: the systems, policies, and global forces that shape these gaps.

An MPH with a Global Health specialisation felt like the right next step. I wanted to move beyond clinical work, to learn from global contexts, and to gain the tools to design impactful, evidence-based programmes that improve both the quality of services and the ability of women to reach them.

At the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, those ambitions came to life. The Global Health modules, diverse classmates, and real-world case discussions challenged me to think differently. I wasn’t just learning theories, I was seeing how they applied in different countries and how they could be adapted to local realities. The JC Trust Scholarship gave me the freedom to focus fully on this journey, without the constant worry of living costs in Singapore.

Since graduating, the MPH has opened doors to work with NGOs and UN agencies to strengthen GBV services, raise awareness, and expand access for marginalised women, including those in rural and underserved areas. More than the career opportunities, it gave me the confidence and credibility to stand at the decision-making table and speak for those whose voices are too often unheard.