Michigan Ross Students Take on Global Health Equity Challenges in Interdisciplinary Half-Term Course

STRAT 562/TO 563: Innovation in Global Health Delivery is a half-term course led by Michigan Ross Professor Ravi Anupindi. Dr. Anupindi has done extensive research in the fields of supply chain management, sustainability, strategic sourcing, healthcare delivery in low- and middle-income countries, and much more. He utilizes his expertise in these areas to help students gain an understanding of complex global health issues and how they might work together to find solutions. 

About the Class

The class was recently highlighted by the Center for Global Health Equity for its integrative approach and impact.

During the course, students are divided into teams and assigned unique global health issues for which they have to formulate solutions. This year, the class tackled issues such as fighting childhood pneumonia in Uganda, using public-private partnerships to advance global maternal health, converting basic drug shops into accredited dispensing outlets in Tanzania, and improving access to cardiac stents in Indonesia and South Africa. Students brainstormed solutions to these issues, such as creating telehealth networks or working with NGOs to spread awareness of the local health issues.

Teams are typically made up of students from diverse academic backgrounds to encourage interdisciplinary learning and exploration of new perspectives. Dr. Anupindi’s goal is to help students recognize that developing comprehensive, scalable solutions often requires cooperation from a variety of different perspectives.

“In a fast-paced business environment, learning how to communicate with stakeholders and teammates hailing from different technical expertises, professional experiences, and cultural backgrounds is paramount to success,” said Denny Lai, MBA ’24. “This course has taught me how to better engage in collaboration with various field experts and better understand how to navigate a stakeholder-filled global health ecosystem.”

How Michigan Ross Students Benefit

Ross students have expressed high praise for the course and the opportunity it provides to apply their business knowledge to real-world issues that touch a variety of industries.

“This course introduced me to many students who introduced new frameworks and ideas that I had not heard in traditional business contexts, which was a fantastic experience.” Klopp said.

Klopp notes that he initially signed up for the class to learn more about the healthcare industry as a business student, but that he gained much more than an understanding of a new industry. 

“This course was my first introduction to global supply chains, and also enhanced my understanding of how business can and should work in tandem with governments, nonprofits, and NGOs to create value and advance societal goals,” Klopp said. “The case studies reviewed in class also demonstrated the importance of leadership and communication in creating successful outcomes, which I have seen play out in my other, more business-focused courses.”

The Innovation in Global Health Delivery course is available in the fall to all students with graduate standing.