MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the Beyond Traditional Borders Initiative is to foster the creation of globally appropriate health technologies that address the pressing health needs of the developing world. By engaging students through a novel multi-disciplinary educational program, we will challenge them to reach beyond their usual geographic and disciplinary experiential borders and to gain the knowledge and skills  necessary to advance such innovative technologies. The program establishes a new curriculum for the middle school, high school and university levels that broadens understanding of disease processes and associated advancements within the health technology field, incorporating this understanding with important world health issues. Furthermore, the program presents real-world global health design challenges to students, encouraging the development of meaningful solutions with the potential to make a real impact today.

AIMS

COLLABORATIONS

The Beyond Traditional Borders Initiative includes representation from Rice University, the Texas Medical Center - including Baylor College of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, University of Texas School of Public Health and UT MD Anderson Cancer Center - , and partner institutions abroad reaching from Mexico to Nigeria. This fosters an atmosphere of collaboration, bringing together students and faculty from across the disciplines at Rice, leveraging the strengths of the world renowned Texas Medical Center, and tapping into provision of healthcare in resource constrained settings expertise from across the globe.

FUNDING

The Beyond Traditional Borders Initiative is funded through a generous grant to Rice University by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, in support of Dr. Rebecca Richards-Kortum through the HHMI Professors Program.