ASPHER awards presented to the MUG

1.07.2025

During the June assembly of the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER), held at the Charité campus in Berlin, accolades were conferred upon the Division of Public Health and Social Medicine at the Medical University of Gdańsk (MUG) as well as Anna Tyrańska-Fobke, Ph.D. a faculty member of the department.

The Division of Public Health and Social Medicine received the ASPHER Teaching & Practice Excellence Award, a distinction recognising outstanding achievements in teaching and a strong commitment to international engagement.

Over the past five years, the unit has implemented a range of impactful initiatives, including:

· Reforming the Master’s-level public health curriculum in alignment with the WHO-ASPHER Competency Framework for the Public Health Workforce in the European Region. This reform was highly rated by the Polish Accreditation Committee and contributed to the MUG’s advancement in the Perspektywy national university ranking – from 7th to 3rd place in the field of public health;
· Executing the NAWA-funded project Improving public health education in response to pandemic and post-pandemic challenges, which resulted in the development of new educational modules and the internationalization of the department;
· Organizing international conferences such as War in Ukraine and Public Health and Trauma-Informed Public Health;
· Conducting public awareness campaigns like This Is Public Health and hosting the Summer School on Trauma & Public Health.

This distinction reflects recognition of the entire team’s contributions in reinforcing Gdańsk’s standing as a key hub for public health in Europe.

Additionally, Anna Tyrańska-Fobke, Ph.D., an Assistant Professor in the Division of Public Health and Social Medicine at the MUG, was honoured with the ASPHER Early Career Excellence Award. She was recognised for her dynamic academic and pedagogical development, as well as her pivotal role in the execution of the NAWA project. This initiative enabled the MUG to establish strategic partnerships with leading institutions, including Maastricht University (Netherlands), University of Porto (Portugal), Andrija Štampar School of Public Health (Croatia), and EHESP School of Public Health (France).

Her commitment to fostering international collaboration grounded in equity, inclusivity, and responsiveness to educational needs was acknowledged as a significant contribution to the advancement of public health in Europe.

ASPHER is the leading European organisation dedicated to strengthening education and training for public health professionals. Currently, it comprises nearly 200 member institutions from across Europe.

Photos: private archive