Elisabeth Rajala - global network coordinator at VH

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am a veterinarian and researcher at the Department of Biomedical Science and Veterinary Public Health. My research focuses on understanding the epidemiology of infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance.  

What is your experience from global development work?

My first experience on the global research arena was during my last year in Vet school when I went to Tajikistan for field work as part of the work with my Master Thesis. That trip gave me a taste for global development and since then I have been involved in various projects in Central Asia, SE Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. I am currently involved in the Sida-funded programme Agrifose2030 where we try to bridge science-based evidence with agricultural practices and policy development, which requires coordinated actions and long term strategies involving multiple stakeholders. I am also coordinating the GCUA 2030  which is a network of university partners from across the globe with a common vision of contributing to sustainable, global development.

How can you contribute to SLU’s global mission?

I hope to contribute to SLU’s global mission by creating more interdisciplinary meeting arenas for SLUs researcher to increasecollaboration cross faculties and promote new collaborations with actors in low-income countries. I also seek to contribute to SLU’s global mission through GCUA 2030 by building a strong and active network of partners from across the globe organizing activities with the objective to equip the next generation of researchers, teachers and academic leaders with knowledge, tools and networks that will strengthen their capacity to work across disciplines, to conduct translational research and contribute to sustainable global development.