Population Health

February 3, 2021

Spring course seeks improvements to population health via social entrepreneurship

Image of student taking notes in class on a laptopThe Population Health Initiative is partnering with the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance and the Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship to offer a five-credit undergraduate course, “Improving Population Health through Social Entrepreneurship,” in spring quarter 2021. The course will support students in developing a fundamental understanding of social innovation and the role that social enterprises can play in addressing population health challenges.

Through a combination of lectures, guest speakers, case studies and a team project, students will learn how organizations can use entrepreneurial principles to advance work that has a positive societal impact. Topics covered in the course include the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals and population health challenges, new models for creating and funding mission-based businesses, and entrepreneurial tools for social impact startups.

A substantial portion of the course will be a team project, where students will either develop their own innovative solutions to a pressing population health issue, or conduct an in-depth analysis of an existing social enterprise. Through the project, students will have the opportunity to explore how to address population health challenges such as climate change, housing and homelessness, poverty, mental health and others.

The course, GEN ST 391 L, SLN 21081, will be taught by Akhtar Badshah, an author, philanthropist and educator with more than 30 years experience in corporate philanthropy and social entrepreneurship. The five-credit course will meet synchronously online on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. Pacific.

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