topnaman | Malaria blog

As a follow-up to the previous post on the Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine is a remarkable piece of history on its origins written by Helen Power. The subtitle “institutionalizing medical research in the periphery” summarizes the article and the insights one can expect from reviewing such a process. How are institutions forged? Who decides and why? A recurring theme (in the stories of institutions) I find amusing is the extent to which matters of whim and expediency, as opposed to deliberate intent, influenced history. Amidst our everyday work it is a rare oppurtunity to step back and reflect upon the broader forces (foreign strategy, national politics, financial competition) or petty conflicts (disciplinary divides, ego clashes) which shaped our present, regardless of where we may be.