Meet our Future Leaders: Spotlight on graduate, Rowland Edet

Meet Rowland Edet, a dedicated doctoral student from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, specialising in health policy, family studies, and gender and health. With a diverse educational background and impactful previous work experience at GPI, his research is shaping the future of scalable parenting programmes in Thailand. Discover his journey, insights, and aspirations for creating positive societal change.

Educational background

I am currently a doctoral student of sociology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA. My research areas include health policy, family studies, and the intersection between gender and health. I obtained a bachelor's degree in sociology and a master's in medical sociology from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. I also hold a master's degree in public policy from the School of Public Policy, Chiang Mai University, Thailand, where I was introduced to GPI.

Role at GPI
I worked as an early-career researcher for the Parenting within the Public Health System in Thailand study. The project aims to test and scale up evidence-based parenting interventions to prevent child maltreatment, promote healthy child development, and strengthen parent-child relationships. I collaborated with a team of experts to conduct literature reviews on international best practices for supporting the scale-up of these programs within the Thai public health system. A pivotal GPI event, “Engaging policymakers: Translating your research into policy and practice” by Prof. Fatima Waziri-Azi, underscored the importance of effective communication in advocating for Parenting for Lifelong Health (PLH) programmes.

Key research insights
My research highlights several critical factors influencing the scaling-up of social interventions, including the timing of scale-up, effective advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and the adaptability and relevance of interventions. External influences and political support are crucial for success, alongside adequate resources, strong leadership, and collaborative efforts. Continuous research, monitoring, and training ensure the effectiveness and sustainability of interventions, which must address recognised needs and align with local sociocultural contexts. Frameworks like the diffusion of innovation model and the scale-up readiness assessment framework provide valuable insights into the spread of new ideas and the dimensions for effective scaling up.

Challenges in implementing parenting programmes in Thailand
Key challenges include limited financial resources, the complexity of interventions, human resource shortages, ensuring program fidelity, low awareness and demand, lack of sustainable funding models, and policy and governance constraints. Overcoming these challenges requires strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, capacity building, advocacy, and sustainable funding mechanisms.

Impact of work on gender, health policy, and family studies
I aim for my work to promote gender equality, improve health outcomes, and strengthen family well-being by developing evidence-based interventions and policies. Through research and advocacy, I hope to influence decision-makers, practitioners, and communities to implement inclusive and effective strategies that address gender disparities, enhance healthcare access and quality, and support healthy family dynamics. Ultimately, I aspire to foster positive societal change, advance social justice, and contribute to the well-being of individuals and families across diverse contexts.

Advice for new researchers
For those starting out, I recommend building a strong foundation in research methodologies and critical thinking, finding passion in your chosen topics, seeking mentorship, networking with peers, embracing challenges, honing communication skills, prioritising self-care, and staying curious and open-minded. These steps can lead to a rewarding research journey.