Kara Hanson (AC 82-84) is a Senior Lecturer in Health Economics with the Health Economics and Financing Programme at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London.  Kara teaches introductory and advanced health economics for Masters’ students from across the School. 

 

Kara is also the Director of the Consortium for Research on Equitable Health Systems, which is a UK-DFID funded research consortium bringing together researchers from South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Thailand, India and the UK.  The programme includes research on implementation of equity-oriented health system reforms, risk protection, workforce performance and scaling up health system policies and interventions.  Kara’s research has focused primarily on the financing and organisation of health systems in low- and middle-income countries, and on the economics of delivering malaria interventions, such as new drugs for case management and insecticide-treated mosquito nets to prevent malaria. 

 

“UWC very much motivated my career choice. My father was a businessman and I had always thought that I would go into that world.  After returning from UWC, I went to McGill University and registered for a bachelor of commence, but I only lasted one term.  The programme wasn’t motivating me so I transferred to the faculty of Arts and Sciences to study economics and political science.” explains Kara.

 

“Following my Bachelors degree, I completed a Masters at Cambridge, in Economics and Politics of Development.  When I graduated, I was highly qualified but had no practical experience.  At that time the Overseas Development Institute’s Fellowship Scheme was offering fellowships for people like me.  I applied and was sent to Swaziland for two years to work in their Ministry of Health as an Economist.  I was a little disappointed to be offered a position in the Ministry of Health, as in my mind, I wanted a position with more economics, but in retrospect it was the perfect job for me.  

 

“Swaziland in the late 1980s was an interesting place to be.  Changes were underway in South Africa which generated a lot of excitement -- Swaziland was a frontline state.  I remember watching Nelson Mandela being released from prison on television with a group of South Africans who had moved to Swaziland to avoid military service.  It is a small country and the layers of the civil service were very thin, so I had a broad range of responsibilities, especially for someone with limited experience.  I was really stretched but it was very exciting and it gave me the opportunity to learn so much, particularly about health.  I also met my husband during this period who was on the same scheme, working in the Ministry of Finance.  

 

“My time at UWC made me look outside myself and become more aware of what was going on in the world.  I guess when I arrived at Atlantic College my view of the world was very centred on North America.  UWC opened up for me the concept of interconnectedness, global poverty and the challenges of international development.

 

“I had gone to a standard state high school in Montreal.  I had wanted to find a way to avoid spending the usual 2 years in community college before going on to university.  I researched other options and ploughing through the drawers in the career guidance councillor’s office I found a leaflet for UWC.   I thought it looked great so I applied.  From my year, four Quebec students went to Pearson College and I went to Atlantic College.

 

“In retrospect my parents were probably mad to agree to me going.  It changed all our lives, probably made theirs as well as mine more adventurous.  My parents were very supportive.  Looking back on it now, I can’t believe they put me on a plane at 16 to undertake this huge adventure.  I suppose they knew I wouldn’t thrive in the Montreal school system.

 

“UWC provided me with an extremely good education; the International Baccalaureate is a super qualification.  I enjoyed the multicultural aspect a lot and it has taught me to be more tolerant and more interested in how things work in other parts of the world.

 

“After finishing my final IB exams I decided to stay on for the summer to work in the Extramural Centre, which is part of the community service programme at Atlantic College.  The centre receives different groups of children each week and we organised activities for them.  Because I was in the Cliff Rescue service I mostly worked with children on the climbing wall.  It was fascinating to watch the different groups that came through:  there was a huge diversity, from tough inner city kids, to groups with different types of physical and learning disabilities.  The weather was super, one of those summers when you could be forgiven for thinking you were on the Riviera.  But helping these children achieve things that would normally be out of their reach was incredible:  both literally and figuratively we were helping them to climb over a wall.  They were delighted to take the chance to achieve something and be good at it.

 

“One of my biggest challenges at the moment is trying to manage a really exciting professional career and trying to raise a family.  My job involves a lot of travel, long hours and pressure yet it is important for me to be there for my children. 

 

“UWC took my life on a completely different path but I have never looked back.  I feel very privileged to have been given this opportunity.”