Andreas Ruppel Fund Donation fund supports young talents in International Health
The fight against poverty and disease and the promotion of young scientists were among the central concerns of Prof. Dr Andreas Ruppel from the Heidelberg Institute for Global Health (HIGH), who passed away in autumn 2021. The Andreas Ruppel Fund was established in 2023 to continue his long-standing commitment, particularly in teaching. Last year, numerous alumnae and alumni once again donated to the fund to support students and graduates of the Master's degree programme in International Health.
Andreas Ruppel joined the former Department of Tropical Hygiene and Public Health at Heidelberg University in 1979 and was appointed Professor of Parasitology in 1997. From 2007 until his retirement in 2011, he was head of teaching at today's HIGH. During these years, he became an important mentor and friend to numerous students from all over the world. His research focussed primarily on the tropical worm disease schistosomiasis or bilharzia – a disease that particularly affects people living in poverty. This focus gave him the opportunity to ‘contribute to solving real problems’, which was an important concern for him throughout his life. His scientific work led to close collaborations and many lifelong friendships with colleagues worldwide. Andreas Ruppel organised numerous workshops and symposia in the field of public health for international students and continued to organise regular alumni summer schools even after his retirement.
In keeping with the biologist's many years of work, the Andreas Ruppel Fund is used to support students and early career researchers as well as teaching activities. Last year, a career development workshop for graduates of the Master's programme in International Health was financed (see report in this newsletter) and a student whose tuition fees were covered was supported. The fact that Andreas Ruppel remains an important source of inspiration at the HIGH and that his commitment is kept alive is also demonstrated by numerous other activities organised by the institute in his memory last year – including the four-week summer school ‘AI-Powered Research: From Idea Generation to Literature Review’ or the ‘Andreas Ruppel Commemoration Workshop – How to Mitigate Negative Anthropocene Effects on Health and Environment’.
If you would also like to support teaching and educational activities in the field of global health, please donate to the Andreas Ruppel Fund.
