Prague 2025 Reflections

This July, the 2024–2025 Global One Health Scholars had a marvelous and unforgettable time in Prague for the GOH 302: Global One Health Applications summer study abroad course. The pilot cohort settled into the first of three think and-do-packed weeks at the NC State European Center, located in the beautiful heart of Prague.

We kicked things off with a historical tour of Prague’s Old Town, on the hottest day of the year, no less. This up-close introduction to the Czech capital was followed later that week by a survival Czech language workshop, a Czech cooking class (during which the power went out across the city. But we still got to eat the handmade bread we baked!), and a guest lecture from People In Need’s Project LIFE. There, we learned about the Czech Republic’s ongoing situation with heat islands and other climate-related changes associated with urbanization and agricultural land use. And what a welcome to all things Czech and the program this was!

Read on to hear from the scholars about how the next couple of weeks, brimming with new ideas and adventure, unfolded.

Learning was happening on all levels and in all places.

“Some of the connections that were pretty powerful were maybe a bit more passive, like how the public transit system was nice… mental-health-wise. You don’t have to worry about driving a car, finding somewhere to park— it just removes a lot of stress… that’s maybe a component of transit and One Health that isn’t quite touched on as much: there is a big social benefit to that sort of ability to get around.”- Ava Smith

“Hiking in Bohemian Switzerland [It] was such an awesome place with a unique environment and well-maintained trails. It was also a one health connection since you could still see the damage done by the wildfire several years ago as well as the slow recovery process.”- Abi Finch

The city itself, along with our various excursion sites, became our second teacher. Everyday moments like taking public transportation (and remembering to respect local volume norms), grocery shopping and interpreting food labels, hearing from our local RAs about Czech social behavior and dynamics, and other daily, seemingly small interactions became unexpected lessons in the global aspect of Global One Health.

“The Czech Republic is dealing with climate change but also is still trying to recover from Soviet occupation which adds additional difficulties to an already challenging One Health issue.”- Abi Finch

One of the biggest takeaways from this trip was the deepened appreciation for historical and cultural nuance when analyzing issues and shaping solutions. The residual effects of authoritarian communist regimes are still visible today, in ways both physical and psychological. From missing blueprints of cement water drainage systems that exacerbate drought conditions, to a widespread sentiment of compassion toward Ukrainian refugees expressed by locals and media outlets alike, we encountered various examples of how a region’s sociopolitical, ethnic, and cultural history directly influences One Health issues, both past and present.

“There were many scenarios where we learned that effective communication with everyone, especially community leaders, was as important as the research and project going on behind the scenes”- Rida Tariq

A recurring theme across excursions, guest lectures, and field visits was the undeniable importance of building meaningful, intentional community relationships when designing and implementing change. We heard from experts who spoke with passion and candor about their efforts to improve the health and well-being of Czech communities. Projects and collaborations ranged from agricultural and landscape engineering solutions to combat flooding and crop heat stress, to community-driven science communication and public health initiatives, to veterinary research investigating foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks in cattle across the country.

“At its core, these projects value autonomy and future-forward mentalities and actions; all of which cannot be done without having a dedicated relationship and consistent, two-way conversations with the people the change is for, and making them feel they have agency over the changes happening in their communities.”- Valeria Rayo-Solano

We were each other’s teachers, too.

We had many wonderful teachers in Prague. The guest lecturers generously shared their expertise, and our local guides shared nothing but love, awe, and enthusiasm for their city and its complex history. At the helm of it all was Dr. Kristen Sullivan, who did a spectacular job planning the course and preparing the scholars to make the most of their time abroad. Thanks to her leadership, we were able to make meaningful and eye-opening One Health connections throughout our journey.

But truly, perhaps not surprisingly, given this incredible group of students, the most memorable lessons came from each other. Whether navigating public transit, trying new foods, or tackling team projects, our shared experiences fostered a spirit of collaboration and camaraderie in the truest sense of the GOH approach.

“Czesky Krumlov was great. I absolutely loved the theater and rafting— rafting was probably the most fun and memorable thing because we got to hang out as a group; we actively had to problem-solve together to grab a bottle out of the river and that was a fun spur of the moment thing we did.”- Ava Smith

“I want to shout out Cristina for her creativity! Her creativity and breadth of experiences lent to her ability to talk to and connect with anyone and ask our tour guides some really specific questions that contributed to all of our understanding on some of these issues from a unique perspective.”- Valeria Rayo-Solano

“Something I really enjoyed about this program was being able to meet students from different disciplines who had different goals but the same values. It was awesome to learn more about the animal/vet side of One Health and to gain more insight from that point of view [from Kara].”- Rida Tariq

Three weeks came and went. Before we knew it, we were gathered around a couple of tables, enjoying our last lunch together on our final full day in Prague (it was delicious, by the way). Three weeks turned into a formative experience in global citizenship, interdisciplinary thinking, and human connection. For many of us, it strengthened not only our understanding of One Health issues, but also our commitment to approaching them with empathy, humility, and collaboration.

Děkuji (thank you!) to everyone in GOHA and in Prague who made this experience unforgettable. Thank you for your time, stories, support, and warmth. This, above all, is what will stay with us as we continue shaping our futures and serving our communities, guided by humanity.

This post was originally published in Global One Health Academy (GOHA).