The University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) is one of the largest hospitals in the Netherlands and the largest employer in the Northern part of the Country. More than 10000 employees are dedicated to provide patient care and cutting-edge scientific research, focused on ‘healthy and active ageing’. The UMCG combines fundamental and patient-orientated clinical research. The interaction between these two stimulates the development of new clinical and research opportunities. UMCG is the Netherlands’ largest transplantation center and is one of the few hospitals in the world capable of performing every type of organ and tissue transplantation.  The Department of Health Sciences in UMCG is leading the research in social-economic medicine, public health and global health economics issues. One of its units, Global Health (headed by Prof Maarten J Postma as professor of Global Health Economics), is focusing on international education and research including health economics of infectious diseases’ control. The unit has rapidly expanded from a staff of six employees to a group of 20 temporary PhD’s and postdocs, collaborating with many global health experts in clinical departments of hospitals, universities and beyond (with co-operations in Eastern Europe, Indonesia, Myanmar, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Brazil and Vietnam).