Starting on 15 December 2024, applications are open in a new new study programme at ECON MUNI. This two-year programme in Applied Health Economics was designed in response to the growing need of many healthcare systems to solve long-term systemic problems. To date, there has not been a similar program available which would educate professionals from many related fields. We talked to one of the founders of the programme, Jakub Hlávka, about the candidates AHE is best suited for and how it will help them develop in their careers.
There is no perfect student profile, but the successful candidate should be interested in how healthcare works and how data can be used in healthcare. They should have an interest in the intersection of economics, data and cost-effectiveness analysis, public health, epidemiology, regulatory and legal sciences, management of organisations and the development of healthcare innovation. We look forward to curious and motivated students who want to find new ways to solve existing problems.
The programme is taught by teachers from six schools of Masaryk University. I am delighted that Martin Višňanský, who is a very experienced researcher, consultant and manager in biotechnology organisations, Hynek Pikhart, who leads the environmental epidemiology group at the RECETOX centre and focuses on inequalities and determinants of health, or Andrea Pokorná, who is a leading expert on the quality of health care at the Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University, will teach in the programme, among many others. I myself link the fields of health economics and policy and will often connect academic insight with the real-world case studies from the Czech and other healthcare systems.
Students will gain the necessary knowledge at the theoretical level, but a greater emphasis will be on practical learning. Therefore, in most courses, students will be required to develop their own analysis, project or policy proposal and will experience how to best use data to conduct real-world analyses and prepare recommendations for decision-makers. Students will choose their own internships of 6 weeks in length, and we will be happy to connect them with a variety of institutions from the private, public, non-profit, or academic sectors.
Students will find employment as analysts, managers, institutional directors, researchers or consultants in key healthcare institutions. They can also help to bring more objective analysis to healthcare decision-making at the national level or lead large financial investments, such as in the insurance system or at the level of individual companies or care providers.
One of the biggest problems that needs to be addressed is the ageing of the population, including ageing of health professionals. This creates the need to analyse solutions that can increase the efficiency of the healthcare sector - whether at public or private level. They can also address incentives for care providers or patients to achieve the best possible outcomes with limited resources, or issues such as the entry of new technologies and innovations into the health sector.
The programme is very unique in the Czech context and resembles programmes from leading foreign universities. Therefore, do not be afraid to apply even if you do not have direct experience with all of the topics listed above. Don't be afraid of tuition fees either - we will be offering partial scholarships to many students and the study programme itself will be tailored to those who are working while studying. Graduates of the programme will be in high demand in the job market, and there is a great interest in them. We look forward to receiving your applications!
Jakub Hlávka, Ph.D., is the Director of the Health Economics, Policy and Innovation Institute (HEPII) at Masaryk University and an Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor of Public Health at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. His research interests include health economics and topics such as aging, innovative payments for new therapies, including cell and gene therapies in oncology, neurology, and cardiovascular disease, health system reform, and the study of health care disparities or resilience. He received his PhD in public policy analysis and health economics from the Pardee RAND Graduate School in California.
With the end of the year approaching, we bring you a summary of the most interesting events and achievements in the field of science and research at ECON MUNI. Our scientists have been involved in projects with a direct impact on society, celebrated success in grant competitions and helped politicians and public administration to make better decisions through the new Policy Reports Series.
Jakub Hlávka, Director of the Institute for Health Economics, Policy, and Innovation at Masaryk University in Brno (HEPII), has served as an advisor to the President of the Czech Republic for Health Care since September. In this new role, he co-organized a roundtable discussion with President Petr Pavel and Eva Pavlová entitled "Primary Care Physician Shortage in Czech Regions," which focused on the challenges faced by primary care physicians in the Czech Republic.
