Skip to main content
IU & Ghana Indiana University

About  

Hutton International Experiences Program

The Hutton International Experiences Program (HIEP) believes in the power of overseas learning.

Visit HIEP

This IU and Ghana Website marks the efforts made by the faculty in this experience to document and inform others about their work in Ghana.

The Beginning

In the Summer of 2019, Dr. Cecilia Obeng, Applied Health Science, and Jeff Heerdink-Santos, Hutton Honors College, received grant funding from the U.S. Federal Government (State Department) to send faculty to Ghana. This effort had two parts: 1.) Train IU faculty on study abroad program planning and implementation with the view to endowing the faculty with the necessary skills to create their own overseas program(s); and (2) Provide undergraduate students with overseas experience on African (Ghanaian) Healthcare access by introducing them to the cultural mores that inform healthcare in Ghana.

Obeng and Heerdink-Santos sent out a request for people to join them in this program. After faculty and students were selected, the planning began. The group would go to Ghana in May and June in 2020. Due to COVID, the trip was delayed two years and in June 2022, the group of faculty and new students went.

Faculty examining a Ghanaian tool.
Faculty examining a Ghanaian tool.

Continuing Effort

It is hoped that more students and faculty trainees will go to Ghana in the future. Obeng's class, “Culture and Health”, will continue to augment students’ knowledge about Ghanaian healthcare delivery systems. She will continue to bring students to Ghana and let them experience the rich culture. Faculty are also hoping to create permanent partnerships with organizations in Ghana.