GHIC 2012
Global Health & Innovation Conference
April 21–22, 2012
Yale University, New Haven, CT

Click Here To Register For The Conference

Conference Information & Frequently Asked Questions

What is Unite For Sight?

Unite For Sight is a 501(c)(3) non-profit global health delivery organization that empowers communities worldwide to improve eye health and eliminate preventable blindness. Unite For Sight supports eye clinics in India, Ghana, and Honduras by investing human and financial resources in their social ventures to eliminate patient barriers to eye care. To date, Unite For Sight has provided eye care to more than 1.3 million people worldwide, including more than 50,000 sight-restoring surgeries.

We scale our overall impact on global health delivery by developing and nurturing current and future global health leaders. Global Impact Fellows learn how to apply Unite For Sight's strategies to their current and future global health work. Global Health University includes idea incubator workshops, Certificate Programs related to global health and social entrepreneurship, fellowship and internship opportunities in the U.S. and abroad, and more than sixty online courses in our Global Health E-Library. Our annual Global Health & Innovation Conference convenes 2,200 participants from all 50 states and from more than 50 countries to exchange ideas and strategies across all disciplines of global health, international development, and social entrepreneurship.

Who attends the Global Health & Innovation Conference?

The conference annually convenes more than 2,200 people from 55 countries, and the participants are an eclectic group committed to global health innovation and world-changing ideas.

How do I join the conference Facebook page?

Stay updated about all of Unite For Sight's news and announcements at http://www.facebook.com/uniteforsight You may also interact with other conference participants on the Global Health & Innovation Conference Facebook Page.

What time does the conference begin and end?

The conference begins at 8:00am on the Saturday and concludes at 4:05pm on the Sunday. On-site conference check-in and registration commences around 7:15am on the Saturday.

What should I wear?

The conference does not have a dress code. Most conference participants tend to dress in business casual.

What is the difference between social enterprise pitch sessions and the other conference sessions?

In addition to the results-oriented presentations by the featured speakers, more than 130 cutting-edge ideas in development are presented in innovative social enterprise pitch sessions.  Unite For Sight reviews and accepts social enterprise pitches on a rolling application deadline.  Innovative ideas continue being submitted and accepted for presentation.  The most critical criteria for selection include the evidence basis for the idea, the uniqueness of the idea, as well as the expected outcomes and metrics for measuring the impact of the idea.  The social enterprise pitch sessions are intriguing ideas in the brainstorming or early implementation stage, and the topics range from sustainable transportation to new modes of diagnostics, mobile applications, and new information

Each social enterprise pitch includes a 5-minute presentation, which is followed by 5 minutes of questions, answers, and feedback from the audience. This provides participants with an opportunity to formulate and present their idea, collaborate with others interested in their idea, and receive feedback and ideas from other conference participants. Each conference session includes 6-8 social enterprise pitches. The conference also includes networking rooms where social enterprise pitch presenters and audience members are encouraged to continue their discussion after the social enterprise pitch session concludes. The social enterprise pitch sessions occur throughout the conference weekend, and 2 social enterprise pitch sessions occur concurrently during each designated period.

What is the difference between a workshop and the other conference sessions?

As you see on the conference schedule, there are a variety of workshops during the conference. Due to the interactive nature of a workshop, they must be small and therefore have a maximum capacity range of 80-150 participants. Workshops are available for any participant to attend on a first come, first served basis.

What are the Student Leaders in Global Health sessions?

The conference includes three Student Leaders in Global Health Sessions, in which students (undergraduate, professional, and graduate students) give 12-minute presentations about their results-oriented program or research study.

Who qualifies for the student registration rate?

The student rate is available to those who are enrolled as a full-time student in an accredited degree-granting program and scheduled to graduate no earlier than December 2011.

I do not have a checking account or a credit card. How can I register?

Please contact rturkel@uniteforsight.org in order to receive details for a Western Union transfer to Unite For Sight.

I am not from the U.S. How can I obtain a Visa?

How do I submit an abstract?

You may find complete details about abstract submission at http://www.uniteforsight.org/conference/abstracts

Where can I learn about previous Unite For Sight Conferences?

GHIC 2012 is Unite For Sight's 9th annual conference. The April 2011 conference schedule can be seen at http://www.uniteforsight.org/conference/speaker-schedule-2011, and the 2010 conference schedule can be seen at http://www.uniteforsight.org/conference/speaker-schedule-2010 Click on the hyperlinked session titles to read blogs, watch videos, and access resources about the conference sessions.

Is the registration fee refundable?

The conference registration fee is not refundable or transferable, as per the published policy on the conference registration page. Before submitting their registration, each registrant is required to confirm their understanding that the registration is not refundable or transferable. Submission of the registration fee notifies Unite For Sight that the registrant plans to attend the conference, and we plan for the comprehensive details associated with their attendance. Via the transaction, Unite For Sight makes an agreement with the attendee to coordinate all of the complex logistics that provide them with the opportunity to attend a well-organized, quality conference, including all of their necessary materials and resources: quality conference venues; organized conference sessions with renowned speakers; an electronic conference pass and conference badge; Conference Program Book; Conference Connect Networking Platform, etc.  The preparation and provision of these materials and resources, including the robust Conference Connect Networking Platform, are available only to those who register to attend the conference.

It is also important to note that any conference that allows refunds builds in a significant extra administrative fee into every conference ticket.  Those conferences also include an additional substantial administrative/processing fee for a refund.  The Global Health & Innovation Conference keeps registration rates as low as possible, and the entire Global Health & Innovation Conference registration fee is lower than the refund/cancellation fees of most other conferences. 

Who should I contact if I have other questions?

You may send an email to Rachel Turkel at rturkel@uniteforsight.org