On September 15, 2025, the School of Public Health of the University of Hong Kong (HKU SPH) hosted a lecture titled "The Political Economy of Global Health in Historical Perspective" by Professor Jesse B Bump, Lecturer on Global Health Policy and Executive Director of Takemi Program, Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The lecture took place at the HKU medical campus and attracted over 60 attendees.

The lecture commenced with opening remarks from Professor David Bishai, Director and Clinical Professor of HKU SPH, followed by an introduction of the speaker by Professor Jane Zhao Jie, Assistant Professor of HKU SPH and a Takemi Fellow. Professor Bump unpacked recent global health events through a political economy lens, from colonial legacies to macroeconomic policies that continue to shape health inequities today. He concluded by encouraging the audience to move beyond analysis and engage directly by exposing extractive processes, refusing to participate in unfair systems, insisting on legitimacy, and studying how ideas work, not just pathogens.

Following the lecture, a Q&A session moderated by Dr Andrew Park, Lecturer of HKU SPH, allowed the participants to actively engage in the discussion. To watch Professor Jesse Bump’s lecture, please click here.