The COVID-19 pandemic sparked alumnus Daniel’s desire to learn more about public health in disasters

Daniel Cuetos Súarez is in his office at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (or DG ECHO for short) in Brussles. He works as a Technical Officer for the rescEU programme, where he serves as the technical lead for the strategic medical and CBRN stockpiles. He also supports other rescEU medical capabilities, including EMTs and MEDEVAC, and is involved in coordinating medical operations through the Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC), helping ensure Europe is prepared to respond to major medical crises and disasters.

His career at DG ECHO began with an internship while he was studying the Erasmus Mundus Master programme Public Health in Disasters. Since Daniel did the programme, the structure has changed somewhat and the internship is a voluntary part of the programme that the students arrange themselves, with some support from the universities. 

–  After I had finished the programme, I returned home and continued working as a medical doctor, but when I heard that the team where I had done my internship had an opening for a temporary position I applied and got the job. That has since lead to the role I am in now, Daniel explains. 

COVID-19 sparked the idea of a career change

But let’s start from the beginning. Daniel is a medical doctor from Spain, specialised in emergency medicine. He had always been interested in global health and disaster medicine and had volunteered  in humanitarian aid missions in disasters and crises in Europe and Latin America before, but it was the COVID-19 pandemic that sparked an idea to move his career in that direction. 

–  COVID-19 was the first pandemic to hit Spain in modern times, and we were working so hard, learning, inventing and implementing as we were going; developing protocols, planning interventions. I got to know one of the professors who teach at the University of Oviedo (another partner university in the Erasmus Mundus programme) and it was through conversations with him that the idea to take the experiences I had from the pandemic and build on them academically by studying this master was born. 

Impressed by KI

Daniel applied and, in the winter of 2023, he found himself in Stockholm. Straight away he was very impressed with KI. In his opinion, the academic quality of the education, the way the programme was set up and the skill of the teachers and lecturers, is second to none. In particular, the research focus KI has and the support that students get to pursue research.

– In the first week we had a visit to the KI library and found out about the resources and support that is available there, which I though was remarkable. In general, KI had an atmosphere of support for research and methodology learning that really helped develop my academic career, Daniel says. 

Moreover, Daniel says he found the support KI provided international students, in terms of housing, arranging social and cultural activities and so on, supportive. When asked what he would say to anyone who is thinking of applying to the programme, he replies:

– It is an excellent programme. If you are accepted you will spend two years with people from all over the world, sharing different experiences, perspectives and ideas. I found it a truly enriching experience, both professionally and personally.