Engaging Intergovernmental Organizations

Engaging Intergovernmental Organizations (EIO) is a week-long intensive professional development program where select participants visit and learn from intergovernmental partners at organization headquarters across Europe. 

Designed for mid- and senior-level government officials, private sector leaders, and academic faculty, participants visit intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) in Paris, Geneva, and Rome to expand professional networks while learning about how to effectively engage with intergovernmental organizations. The program focuses on emerging challenges such as international trade, antimicrobial resistance, food safety & security, and animal health and infectious disease.

Engaging Intergovernmental Organization program

Program Objectives

  • Program participants will be aware of high priority issues and programs for IGOs, and will be aware of how the IGOs interact with each other and with external partners.
  • Participants will understand how IGOs work to advance global goals such as the Sustainable Development Goals, International Health Regulations, Joint External Evaluation, Performance of Veterinary Services, Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreements, among others. 
  • Participants will understand how their work can support international capacity building efforts for the IGOs and how they can collaborate effectively on new proposals to support Tripartite strategic priorities.
  • Participants will work collaboratively to develop at least one new collaborative proposal/concept note that is designed to support IGO needs for capacity building and/or research.
EIO 2019 | Grand Challenge Innovation
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EIO 2019: Grand Challenge Innovation

Participants of EIO 2019 standing on steps at the WHO, looking at the camera and smiling
Participants of EIO 2019 at the World Health Organization headquarters

As an output of the 2019 EIO program, and based on knowledge gained throughout the program, participants worked collaboratively to develop a new proposal or concept note designed to support IGO and/or member country needs for capacity building and/or research.

We are proud to announce the $10,000 Seed Grant funding was awarded to one collaborative proposal supported by the full EIO 2019 team.

Project: "Partnering for Resilient Communities: Sustainable Global Demonstrations Sites"

PI: Cheryl Robertson, PhD, MPH, RN, School of Nursing

Project overview: This project strengthened research and partnerships with global researchers through the development of community-led field sites.The seed grant initially funded exploratory meetings in Minnesota and Uganda to establish partner needs and develop the project design for a pilot site in East Africa. Grant recipients worked directly with communities in East Africa, Latin America, or Southeast Asia through these field sites to foster long-term, collaborative projects among U of M faculty and regional researchers, practitioners, students, and faculty.