UofM SPH and the East, Central, and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC) in Arusha, Tanzania Sign an International Education MOU

November 10, 2025 - The University of Memphis School of Public Health (UofM SPH) and Southern Africa Health Community ECSA-HC in Arusha, Tanzania formalized their partnership by signing an International Education Memorandum of Understanding aimed at expanding Public Health Diplomacy efforts. The purpose of this MOU is to enhance research and educational experiences, while strengthening cross-cultural understanding for students at both institutions. 

“The collaboration with the East, Central, and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC) highlights the importance of partnerships in advancing the field of public health diplomacy in Africa and contributes to capacity building in an era of complexity, uncertainty and unpredictability.” 
— Dr. Ashish Joshi, Dean, UofM SPH 

This collaborative resource hub will support public health diplomacy, digital health initiatives and the expansion of the Memphis Model for public health education in high schools. It will do so through academic excellence and pipeline programs, innovative research, including joint research projects, shared proposal development for funding, collaborative publications and presentations, faculty exchanges, experiential learning opportunities for students and engagement in strategic special projects. 

The MOU is structured around five pillars: Academic, Research, Faculty and Student Exchange, Guest Speaker Series and the REAIM “Public Health Through the Lens of the Youth” initiative. 

The hub will focus on integrating the UofM Graduate Certificate in Population Health Informatics into ECSA-HC academic programs and creating opportunities to collaborate on workshops and micro-credentials related to public health diplomacy. 

Collaborative research will center on public health diplomacy, digital health, population health informatics and undergraduate training in public health and Public Health in Action. These efforts will support joint proposal submissions to funding agencies, co-authored publications, and national and international conference presentations. Pilot projects will also be supported through seed funding to help researchers develop competitive grant proposals. 

Faculty exchanges will allow for guest lectures and adjunct teaching across institutions, while student exchanges will offer experiential learning abroad and collaborative virtual presentations related to capstone work. 

A semesterly guest speaker series is planned to highlight key research areas and emerging collaborative opportunities. 

ECSA-HC will also partner with the UofM SPH high school initiative, REAIM Public Health IDEAS Through the Lens of the Youth, using it as a model for public health education in high schools. This initiative will support ECSA-HC in engaging high school students in Public Health in Action programs and hackathons centered on youth-driven public health solutions. 

“Public health diplomacy is essential for advancing sustainable health financing and strengthening health security in Africa. Through collective action, trust, and shared commitment, we can mobilize resources, harmonize policies and ensure that every African nation is better prepared to protect the health and wellbeing of its people.” 
— Dr. Ntuli A. Kapologwe, Director General of ECSA-HC 

Overall, the Memorandum of Understanding supports academic program development, research collaborations, faculty and student exchanges, a joint speaker series and participation in the REAIM youth-focused public health initiative. 

The administrative core of the hub will be led by Dr. Ashish Joshi, Lead PI and Dean of the UofM SPH and Dr. Ntuli A. Kapologwe, Director General of ECSA-HC. 

Ashish Joshi, Ph.D., MBBS, MPH
Dean and Distinguished University Professor of the School of Public Health of the University of Memphis

UofM SPH and the East, Central, and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC) in Arusha, Tanzania Sign an International Education MOU to Advance Public Health Diplomacy Initiative

Ntuli A. Kapologwe, MD, MPH, MBA, PhD, IPPHL
Director General of East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community