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Student Spotlight

HGHI Summer 2025 Research and Internship Program Launches New Cohort

The Harvard Global Health Institute is proud to announce that the HGHI Summer Research and Internship Program for 2025 officially commenced this month. This summer, we are thrilled to support 53 exceptional students as they begin immersive experiences across the U.S. and around the world tackling some of the most pressing challenges in global health.

These internships and research placements are part of HGHI’s commitment to connecting classroom learning with real-world practice through four program pathways:

  • SURGH (Summer Undergraduate Research in Global Health) – research-based placements across Boston with on-campus housing in the Undergraduate Research Village
  • Pre-Arranged Internships – domestic or international roles with partner organizations; may be research or non-research focused
  • Independent Funding – support for student-arranged internships or projects with external institutions, either domestic or international

This year’s students are placed in 20 countries, working on issues ranging from infectious disease research and mental health to maternal care and health systems strengthening. HGHI’s programming reflects our belief in hands-on, interdisciplinary, and cross-cultural engagement as a core part of preparing future global health leaders.

We are especially proud to present a globally diverse and mission-driven cohort, with students placed across regions including:

  • Botswana, South Africa, Rwanda, and Tanzania in sub-Saharan Africa
  • Peru, Chile, and Mexico in Latin America
  • India, Vietnam, and Mongolia in Asia
  • Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Austria in Europe

Within the U.S., students are interning at national public health organizations, research hospitals, and policy centers in cities like Boston, Washington, D.C., Bethesda, and Atlanta.

These placements are made possible through long-standing collaborations with world-class partners such as:

  • Botswana Harvard Health Partnership
  • University of Cape Town – Global Surgery
  • Socios En Salud (Lima, Peru)
  • Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (Geneva, Switzerland)
  • Partners In Health
  • National Health Service (UK), and many more.

In the weeks leading up to their internships, students participated in pre-departure workshops designed to prepare them for the complexities of global health work. This programming included a global health seminar with Emma Lengle, MD, Visiting Scholar at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and a session on cultural humility led by Jocelyn Chu, MPH, ScD, Director of Community Engaged Learning and Instructor in the Office of Education at HSPH. These sessions empowered students to enter their summer placements with greater confidence, cultural awareness, and respect enabling them to contribute meaningfully to host communities while gaining insight and personal growth from their experiences.

We invite you to explore past cohorts, partner organizations, and more on our Summer Research and Internships page and follow along as we share updates throughout the summer on the meaningful work being done by our interns.

At HGHI, we are proud to support and celebrate these passionate undergraduate students as they contribute to advancing health equity, both locally and globally.