The D9820 Foundation committee is excited to have finally successfully committed to having a scholarship program. They have sponsored Edwin Kwong to complete a Master of Public Policy at the Hertie School (Berlin, Germany).

Article by Past District Governor Charlie Speirs, member of the D9820 Foundation Committee

Edwin Kwong MPH was born in Melbourne, grew up between Hong Kong and Melbourne, and completed a Bachelor of Biomedicine and Master of Public Health at the University of Melbourne in 2016 and 2019 respectively.

He has since been involved in developing a career in public health research, education, and policy, including a University of Melbourne project in Primary Health Care in Jamkhed, India.

In 2018 during his Master of Public Health study program (University of Melbourne), he undertook an exchange semester to Lund University, Sweden where he received training in various aspects of public health, including health promotion, sexual and reproductive health, and qualitative research. He was also an intern and subsequently a consultant for the Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Office of the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, where he was responsible for leading a comprehensive summary update of population salt intake in WHO Europe.

Photo taken at the WHO Summit in Berlin in September 2022. From left to right, Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete (Minister of Health of Fiji); Prof Dr Andrea Winkler (Technical University of Munich & University of Oslo); Annette Abraham (Federal Joint Committee, Germany); Edwin Kwong and Dr Kee Park (Harvard Medical School).

Edwin was granted a scholarship to complete a Master of Public Policy at the Hertie School (Berlin, Germany), as the course specifically broadens the focus of public health into public policy, allowing more aspects of society to incorporate healthier policies in different spheres, and make lasting changes in community knowledge and attitudes to improve health outcomes.

Edwin has met his host club, the Rotary Club of Berlin International and greatly enjoys their support, hospitality and fellowship.

For some years the D9820 Foundation committee has been unsuccessfully committed to having a scholarship program. Edwin came to us via D9800’s scholarship selection process when a surfeit of excellent candidates allowed them to offer surrounding districts the option of funding eminently suitable candidates to further their education with Rotary’s support. Thank you D9800 for your initiative.

We have been privileged to participate in the Global Grant Scholarship program, helping equip Edwin with the added knowledge, skills and attitudes to make a difference in the world. As ‘newcomers’ to the Scholarship process we particularly wish to thank Steven Sundstrom for his continual support and knowledge.