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Amsterdam Institute for Health and Technology welcomes opportunity to promote healthy living

Amsterdam/Durham, 13 September 2013 - The proposal for the Amsterdam Institute for Health and Technology (AIHT) has been ranked second by the jury of the Amsterdam Metropolitan Solutions Design Contest.

  • Sep 13, 2013

The Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development (AIGHD) and Duke University are honored with this nomination and are keen to work with the city of Amsterdam to realize their ambitions.

AIHT focuses on healthy living in urban settings, the use of innovative technology to improve medical services, the empowerment of patients, and the containment of rising healthcare costs. AIHT represents a multi-disciplinary collaboration between academia, corporate partners and the public sector, that will use Amsterdam and other cities across the world as a ‘Living Lab’.

‘We are very excited that we may have the opportunity to establish an institute that will be unique and will contribute to better health in the world,’ said Professor Joep Lange. ‘We will strive to make the Amsterdam Institute for Health and Technology a world leader in its field.’

The institute will not only create new Masters and research programs, but also provide executive training, summer schools and community education programs. An incubator at the newly created MedTech Business Park will create many jobs in Amsterdam.

‘AIHT provides an opportunity for Duke University to further its global reach and develop innovations in global health,’ said Professor Michael Merson, Vice President and Vice Provost for Global Strategy and Programs at Duke University and director of the Duke Global Health Institute, which will serve as joint program coordinator with  AIGHD. ‘We are looking forward to participating in this new Institute as it would provide our faculty and students the opportunity to work collaboratively with colleagues in Amsterdam to strengthen the health of populations worldwide.’

The Institute’s other academic partners are the University of Amsterdam (UvA), VU University, the Academic Medical Center (AMC), the VU University Medical Center (VUmc), the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (HvA), and the University of Twente. The corporate partners are Achmea, Danone-Nutricia, Ahold, and Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Health[e]Foundation is a not-for-profit-partner.

Health concerns everyone; it is the largest industry in the world. Many countries spend more than ten per cent of their gross domestic product on health. The healthcare sector is facing unsustainable growth, while the industry is not spending its resources efficiently. The challenge is to translate innovative technologies into better and less costly services.

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About AIGHD:
AIGHD links disciplines, resources and innovative programs from academic institutions and implementing partners in both the developed and developing world, with the ultimate aim to lead the way to access high quality health care for all inhabitants of this world.
www.aighd.org

About Duke University:
The youngest of the elite American research universities, Duke is an institution with bold ambition and a steadfast commitment to excellence. Located in Durham, North Carolina, USA, Duke University is home to students from more than 100 countries. Duke University Professor Robert Leftowitz was awarded the 2012 Nobel Prize for Chemistry, and Duke alumni are known around the world for their achievements in business and society.www.duke.edu