Global Programs Lecture Series

Global Surgery and Surgical Education in Africa

• Speaker: Abebe Bekele, M.D., Ph.D.
• Date: March 17, 2026
• Time: 10 - 11 a.m. CST
• Virtual event: Link will be provided upon registration

Professor Abebe Bekele will share perspectives on global surgery and surgical education in Africa, drawing on over two decades of experience in academic leadership, surgical training, and regional collaboration. As a leader in medical education and global safe surgery initiatives, he will reflect on the evolving role of education, institutional leadership, and regional partnerships in strengthening equitable access to surgical care.

Biography: Abebe Bekele, M.D., Ph.D., FCS (ECSA), FACS, FRCS(Ed), MAMSE, is deputy vice chancellor of academic and research affairs and founding dean of the school of medicine at the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) in Rwanda. He has served as the CEO of the Black Lion Teaching Hospital and dean of the school of medicine at Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia. He is a full professor of surgery (general and thoracic surgery), and holds full professorial faculty positions at UGHE, Addis Ababa University, and the University of Rwanda, as well as a professorship in global health at Duke University in the USA. He has received fellowships in medical education from FAIMER in Philadelphia, simulation-based education from the University of Washington, and surgical leadership from the Harvard Medical School. He has over 26 years of experience in medical and surgical education, and he is a fellow of both the Ethiopian Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Master Surgical Educators of the American College of Surgeons.

Abebe is the secretary general of the College of Surgeons of East Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA). He is the editor-in-chief of the East and Central Africa Journal of Surgery and sits on the editorial board of the JAMA Health Forum, BMC Medical Education, and the Ethiopian Medical Journal. Bekele is recognized among the top 2% of scientists worldwide in the Stanford–Elsevier Global Top 2% Scientists list, which identifies the world’s most cited and influential researchers. He has published over 140 articles and book chapters and received several regional and international awards, including the CUGH Distinguished Leadership Award in 2024. He serves as a member of the advisory councils and boards of the Ethiopian Ministry of Sciences and Higher Education, the WHO Council on Learning and Capacity Building in Health Emergencies, the Global Surgery Foundation, and the African Forum for Research and Education in Health. He is also the founder and the secretary-general of the Consortium of Medical Schools of Africa (COMSA).

Abebe is actively engaged in Global Safe Surgery and has served as a senior advisor to the Federal Ministry of Health, Ethiopia, in the Saving Lives Through Safe Surgery initiative. He is the founder and current chairman of the Pan African Surgical HealthCare Forum (PASHeF). His research interests include trauma, surgical oncology, equity in global surgery, and education.