Published January 31, 2017
On Monday, January 30, Duke Global Health Institute (DGHI) director Michael Merson sent the following message to DGHI faculty, staff and students regarding the recent presidential executive order:
Dear DGHI community,
I want to lend my full support to the message President Brodhead sent yesterday and assure you that you will have the support you need to deal with the immigration issues now before us.
DGHI cannot meet our mission to reduce health disparities worldwide without the collaboration of our partners around the world or having the best and brightest students from any country in our midst. All of us must be able to travel freely to advance knowledge, work with colleagues on the ground facing challenging health problems, and build understanding and collaboration that transcends borders.
DGHI faculty will meet in the coming days and will discuss how we can best serve our students, faculty, staff and partners. In addition, our education staff stand ready to meet individually with any student who has concerns or requires support.
For faculty members, there is an open letter available here expressing opposition to the U.S. president’s executive order. As of this morning, 7,000 faculty members nationwide have signed the letter, including 40 Nobel Laureates. It is your choice whether you wish to sign it.
I encourage DGHI staff members to talk with their supervisors if they have any concerns.
We will continue to look for ways to respond to the issues before us.
Mike
