Master of Public Health at UEF

We were delighted to welcome Professor Nobue Takamatsu (Beppu University, Japan) and Dr. Masato Takase to the University of Eastern Finland from 22–24 June 2026.

The visit included discussions on food allergies in children, a visit to Sinikello Day Care, City of Kuopio, an introduction to our Faculty of Health Sciences, and a tour of Kuopio University Hospital.

The Best Master’s Thesis in Public Health 2026. Congratulations, Tram Nguyen! 🌹

The Best Master’s Thesis in Public Health 2026 was awarded to Tram Nguyen. Thesis title: "Long-term healthcare costs among Hodgkin’s lymphoma patients in Finland"

Supervisors: Dr. Javkhlanbayar Dorjdagva, Assistant Professor of Public Health Policy and Economics and Professor Outi Kuittinen,

The future is bright!



Photo from left to right: Dr. Arja Lyytinen, Tram Nguyen, Dr. Javkhlanbayar Dorjdagva, and Professor Jussi Kauhanen,

Congratulations to our MPH graduates! ✨

Recently, our Master of Public Health students reached an important milestone by completing their studies and graduating. This wonderful day was filled with joy and pride—not only for the graduates, but also for the professors, teachers, and coordinators who guided and supported them throughout their journey.

Now, our graduates are stepping forward toward new opportunities, dreams, and careers. Some will continue their studies at our university, and we wish each of them every success in their future endeavors.

Thank you to our amazing students—let’s stay in touch!

UEF Alumni event in Kenya. Post is both in Finnish and in English.

FI/EN: Itä-Suomen yliopiston alumnit kokoontuivat Keniassa verkostoitumaan ja pohtimaan tulevaisuutta

Kenian Ole Polosin maisemissa järjestetty Itä-Suomen yliopiston alumnien ja yhteistyökumppaneiden tapaaminen tarjosi mahdollisuuden verkostoitumiseen, ajatustenvaihtoon ja tulevien yhteistyömuotojen tarkasteluun. Päivän aikana korostuivat yhteisöllisyys, jatkuva oppiminen ja alumniverkoston merkitys.

– On ilo kohdata muita alumneja ja tarkastella yliopiston laaja-alaista vaikuttavuutta eri ammattialoilla, totesivat kansanterveystieteen maisteriohjelmasta valmistuneet Walter Kwena ja Mildred Odhiambo Nyange.

Päivän ehkä symbolisin hetki ei kuitenkaan syntynyt sanoista vaan teoista. Ohjelmassa oli yhteinen puunistutustilaisuus, joka kuvasti sitoutumista kestävään kehitykseen ja pitkäjänteiseen yhteistyöhön.

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UEF Alumni in Kenya gather to reconnect and reflect

Set against the sweeping landscapes of Ole Polos, a quiet but significant gathering unfolded as Kenyan alumni and friends of the University of Eastern Finland came together for a day defined by reflection, reconnection, and shared purpose.

“It is a pleasure reconnecting with fellow alumni and reflecting on how far-reaching UEF has become across a wide range of professional fields”, said Walter Kwena and Mildred Odhiambo Nyange, both alumni of UEF’s Master’s in Public Health programme.

The programme balanced this sense of community with meaningful engagement. An update on UEF’s ongoing work in Kenya and across the African continent was given. Adding further perspective to the event was a guest talk by Frank Ojwang, author of “Lwanda Magere” and a scholar at the University of Lapland.

Yet perhaps the most symbolic moment of the day came not through words, but through action. In a simple but meaningful gesture, participants took part in a tree planting activity.

Dr. Sohaib Khan is organizing an international webinar in collaboration with Medical University of Warsaw and Yarmouk University of Jordan. Theme is: Public health response to refugee crises in different parts of the globe. Dr. Khan has been teaching this theme at UEF and globally at around 15 universities, where he shares his experiences from working as a medical doctor/public health specialist in various humanitarian crises.

You are encouraged to contact Dr Khan for registeration, to present and/or also if you want to join the organizing committee.

Global Health Resilience: Transcontinental Perspectives on Refugee Crises An International Webinar In 2026, the global landscape of human displacement has reached a critical juncture, demanding a sophisticated and multifaceted public health response. As…

✨MSc Laura Inglin’s doctoral defense is ongoing ✨

Title: Health service use and treatment outcomes in type 2 diabetes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: A register-based study from North Karelia, Finland (Tyypin 2 diabetesta sairastavien hoitotulokset ja terveyspalvelujen käyttö ennen COVID-19-pandemiaa ja sen aikana: Rekisteritutkimus Pohjois-Karjalasta Suomesta).

The Opponent will be Associate Professor Merja Laine of the University of Helsinki and the Custos will be Professor Tiina Laatikainen of the University of Eastern Finland.

https://www.uef.fi/en/article/doctoral-defence-of-laura-inglin-msc-22-may-2026-type-2-diabetes-care-processes-and-outcomes-vary

🌟 Did you know our unit is also on LinkedIn?

Make sure to follow us – we share up-to-date news, events, and interesting content about studies, working life, and of course, research

👉 Follow UEF – Public Health and Clinical Nutrition on LinkedIn

Recently, Dr. Javkhlanbayar Dorjdagva, Assistant Professor in Public Health Policy and Economics, visited the Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

During his visit, Dr. Dr. Javkhlanbayar Dorjdagva delivered an open lecture titled “Improving Health System Efficiency: Health Economic Evaluation.” The event was attended by approximately 50 participants, including lecturers, researchers, physicians, master’s students, and health policymakers.

We extend our sincere gratitude to our partner institution, the Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences, for their outstanding hospitality. Special thanks go to Professor Davaalkham Dambadarjaa and Dr. Khorolsuren Lkhagvasuren for their warm welcome and excellent organization of the visit.

It is worth highlighting that the University of Eastern Finland has been collaborating closely with Mongolian policymakers and academic partners on the development of a school meals system in Mongolia. During this visit, Dr. Javkhlanbayar Dorjdagva also had the opportunity to reconnect with professors and researchers working on school meal initiatives, many of whom previously visited UEF in August 2024.

“Introducing a universal school meal system is one of the most cost-effective public health interventions. It improves children's health and educational outcomes, reduces the financial burden on families, and supports local businesses. In short, it creates benefits across society. It is encouraging to see our partners’ strong commitment to advancing this initiative in Mongolia,” said Dr. Javkhlanbayar Dorjdagva.

We would also like to thank Mr. Bold M, Advisor to the President of Mongolia; Professor Purevjav M from the Mongolian University of Science and Technology; and Ms. Enkhtaivan Batbold, Head of the Food Production and Service Division at the General Authority for Education, for their support and engagement.

We look forward to continuing and strengthening this fruitful collaboration.

This project has been supported by Erasmus+, and we gratefully acknowledge the funding provided.

EduFoodNet Launch Webinar: International perspectives on education in nutrition and food sciences, online, on 20 May 2026

Venue: Online

Time: 20.5.2026, 17:00 Finland; 9:00 Peru, Colombia - 20.5.2026, 18:30 Finland; 10:30 Peru, Colombia

Representatives from Universidad de Antioquia (UDEA) in Colombia, Universidad Nacional AgrariaLa Molina (UNALM) in Peru and University of Eastern Finland (UEF) in Finland will present, reflect, and engage in open discussion on the needs of education for the food and health professionals.

EduFoodNet is a Team Finland Knowledge programme project.

Read more and register by 18 May:

EduFoodNet Launch Webinar: International perspectives on education in nutrition and food sciences Venue: OnlineTime: 20.5.2026, 17:00 Finland; 9:00 Peru, Colombia - 20.5.2026, 18:30 Finland; 10:30 Peru, ColombiaRepresentatives from Universidad de…

UEF Alumni Reception in Tanzania on June 4th.

UEF Alumni Reception in Tanzania Did you complete a degree or a study exchange at the University of Eastern Finland, or former Universities of Kuopio and Joensuu?Welcome to join the UEF…