Why would a man with important public-policy responsibilities in Manila take extended leave to do graduate work at the University of Washington? “I was looking for new ideas,” says Roberto (Obet) Ador. As Executive Director of the Philippines Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development, Obet wanted to learn from others dealing with health and population issues in developing countries. A staffer in his office, browsing the Internet, alerted him to opportunities at the UW.

In two years here, Obet has found both new colleagues and new ideas. He arrived as one of 10 inaugural Packard-Gates Fellows in the Population Leadership Program at the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs. Then Obet and two other Fellows were invited to join the International Health Program of the School of Public Health and Community Medicine. In both of these highly competitive programs, mid-career professionals from around the world study challenging public-health problems and compare experiences.

“We get an incredibly good group of people,” says Professor Steve Gloyd, who started the International Health Program in 1988. “They’re often here at a transition point, and then go back home to have enormous impact. Really, the faculty here are just traffic directors of conversations—what the students learn from each other is what’s fundamental.”

Obet gives the professors more credit. “I’ve gained a lot from the interactions, but also from the classes and readings. They’ve sharpened my understanding of so many issues—especially the ways in which health in developing countries is linked with poverty, education, and economic structures.”

He stays in close touch with his staff in Manila. “Even while I’m here, our work in the Philippines is being improved by a continual passing on of what I learn. When I go back, I’ll be looking critically at our methods and skills. And I’ll bring much richer detail to our discussions of policy issues and positions we want to advocate. I can be a bridge between all the knowledge and experience I’ve found here and health policy in the Philippines.”