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Education & Capacity development

The Centre is currently running several projects and offers leadership programs that aim to strengthen the capacity of professionals, contribute to innovation in the public sector and support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
Our programs include training on how to lead and organise for innovation, develop smart welfare services,
and provide an inclusive service design with sustainable and efficient services.

At the Centre, we believe that Sustainable Health is a multidisciplinary field, critical for promoting health and well-being while respecting our planet's boundaries.  Since 2020, CESH has been developing education to integrate Sustainable Health across disciplines in higher education. Our experience in designing learning outcomes, teaching strategies, and assessments has led to practical tools and solutions that can enhance your approach to Sustainable Health education. 

Ready to dive in? Reach out to Irene Wanyana or Karin Båge to:

  • kickstart the conversation
  • explore the concept
  • check out our tools
  • fine-tune your ideas
  • get expert feedback
Leadership program

Capacity building for public health officials in maternal and child health (MIDWIZE)

The program offers a creative and innovative approach to build professional competences and confidence for leaders.

Program period: 2 September 2024 – 30 May 2025
Application closed.
Target group: governmental, academic and clinical professionals
Field: reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and nutrition
Countries: Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi and Uganda
Access Midwize Virtual Platform

Join the program

Build capacity within the public health sector in the field of reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and nutrition with midwifery-led interdisciplinary care as a model.

  • Part-time (20%, 6-10 hours per week) online training program
  • A regional study trip will be organized in April/May 2025
  • Online modules on quality improvement, leadership and management
  • Practical project module when the participants conduct a project in their own country
  • Funder: Swedish Institute

Some of the topics that will be addressed:

  • What is sustainable health and what are the ways of getting there? Globally, regionally and nationally – in collaboration.  
  • How can quality of care be sustained and further improved during and after the covid-19 pandemic? 
  • How to encourage interdisciplinary multi-professional teamwork and what makes a team a team? 
  • How to systematically close the gap between what we know and what we do?
  • How to utilize evidence-based practices by choosing the right implementation strategies. 

There is a mixture of participants from governmental institutions, academia and clinical care.

In total 27 participants are enrolled in the program.

Leadership program

Managing Innovation for Sustainable Health (MISH)

The program allows managers to strengthen their ability to ensure good health and well-being by working with a more holistic, evidence-based, collaborative and innovative approach.

Program period: 2 September 2024 – 30 May 2025
Application closed.
Target group: managers in the public and private sector
Field: delivery and improvement of the health care system
Countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Uganda or Somalia

Join the program

Develop capacity to work successfully across sectors using an innovative approach to strengthen both preventive and curative health care

  • Part-time (20%, 6-10 hours per week) online training program, free of charge
  • The training is organized in three modules with interactive online workshops and group work, physical meetings and study visits 
  • A regional study trip will be organized in April/May 2025
  • Foundation: latest research and best practice delivered by academics and professionals from partnering institutions

Agenda 2030 and sustainable health in fragile settings:

  • What is sustainable health and what are the ways of getting there? Globally, regionally and nationally – in collaboration.
  • How is health delivered today and what can be improved?

Innovation and innovation management:

  • What is innovation really, why is it important and how can it be a useful tool?
  • Innovation management – how to facilitate innovation in your organisation and projects?

Multisectoral collaboration and implementation science:

  • How to systematically close the gap between what we know and what we do?
  • How to utilize proven health interventions and evidence-based practices by choosing the right implementation strategies?
  • Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Health
  • Benadir University (Somalia)
  • University of Kinshasa School of Public Health (DRC)
  • Tinkr (Sweden)
  • Funder: Swedish Institute
Online course

Innovation for Sustainable Health

Learn how to integrate principles and innovative tools and approaches in your teaching, research or organizational development of your workplace.

Online self-paced course for professional development
Free of charge, free access for all
Field: Sustainable health, innovative approach, multisectoral collaboration and implementation science

Take the course

Build capacity to effectively work and promote an integrated cross-sectoral and innovative approach towards achieving sustainable health and Agenda 2030

  • Online self-paced course
  • Free of charge, free access for all
  • The course consists of 3 modules, each module takes about 4 hours to complete:
    • Introductory concepts on sustainable health
    • Innovative approach
    • Multisectoral collaboration and implementation science
  • An evaluation will be done through quizzes at the end of the module
  • Each participant will have to score a minimum of 70% to qualify for a certificate
After completing the course you will be able to:
  • understand ways of working with an integrated and collaborative approach towards Agenda 2030
  • understand how to address and train people in leading sustainable development
  • be able to integrate innovation and evidence-based practices and policies in sustainable development work
Project & training

Building Capacity for Sustainable Development in Fragile States (SDGCap)

The project consists of trainings, workshops, networking and research exchanges in different areas.

Project period: 2021-2023
Target group: policy makers and civil servants on a national and regional level, civil society, researchers and students
Field: evidence-based decision-making, multisectoral work, implementation knowledge, visualization and use of data
Countries: Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and Somalia

Read more here

Develop institutional capacity of fragile states to create and implement cost effective and innovative solutions to help reach the sustainable development goals, decrease poverty and increase gender equity.

The project include trainings, workshops, networking and research exchanges in different areas. The main purpose is to develop capacity in areas such as evidence-based decision-making, multisectoral work, implementation knowledge and visualization & use of data. The long-term goals of the project are to strengthen institutional capacity, decrease poverty and increase gender equality.

  • Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet in Sweden
  • Makerere University in Uganda
  • Benadir University in Somalia
  • University of Kinshasa School of Public Health in the Democratic Republic of Congo
PhD course at Karolinska Institutet

Sustainable Health and the 2030 Agenda

This PhD course will give doctoral students an orientation on sustainable health within the framework of sustainable development.

Study period: 2-11 December 2024
Application deadline: 15 August 2024
Third-cycle level, 2.0 credits (HEC)

Read more here

Selection will be based on:

1) the relevance of the course syllabus for the applicant’s doctoral project (according to written motivation)
2) start date of doctoral studies (priority given to earlier start date)

The sustainable development goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda are all interlinked and SDG 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing) is woven into this matrix. In order to reach the SDGs we must use systems thinking and multisectoral collaboration.

  • The course will give a thorough knowledge about the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.
  • It will support you to explore how the SDGs relate to each other with a focus on SDG 3 and to understand how systems thinking can be used to find solutions to the wicked and interlinked problems of sustainable health and development.
  • Lectures, literature and group work will evolve around sustainability challenges such as climate change, extreme poverty, inequality within and in between countries and the students will reflect in depth on how these can be prevented and responded to.
  • Through the coursework you will acquire knowledge, skills and tools to analyze and describe how the major sustainability challenges relate to your own research and why this is important.


Operated by 
Karolinska Institutet in Sweden
and Makerere University in Uganda