Breaking News: Award of Doctor of Health Sciences/Doctor of Philosophy Degree
Dear family members, friends and colleagues,
I am pleased to inform you that on 23rd of May, I took the final step in completing my Doctor of Health Sciences/Doctor of Philosophy Degree at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Ghent, Belgium.
I completed my Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery Degree at the Osmania Medical College, Osmania University, India in 1980, over 40 years ago. Then, I completed my Master of Science Degree at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London, England, over 30 years ago.
The title of my PhD thesis is: Scaling up, sustaining, and enhancing sexuality education programmes in resource constrained and conservative contexts: Replicable lessons from positive-deviant countries.
It draws upon and builds on work that I did over ten years in the World Health Organization, to identify and document the work of countries that have scaled up, sustained, and enhanced their adolescent sexual and reproductive health programmes when many others – in similar social, cultural, and economic circumstances – have not done so. In other words, they were significantly and consistently more successful than the norm. Having said that, all of them still have much to do to improve quality, expand coverage, and assure equity.
I began working on my thesis in 2020 and made progress in fits and starts but was unable to devote the time and effort needed to complete this work till I retired from WHO in August 2023. I submitted my thesis for consideration in December 2023, successfully undertook the internal defence in April 2024 and then successfully completed the public defence on 23rd May 2024.
The public defence was organized in hybrid fashion. This meant that in addition to the family members, friends and colleagues who could join me in person for this milestone event, many others did so remotely on the TEAMS platform provided by the University of Ghent. My thanks to all who did so.
My thesis. – Download PDF
A six-page summary of my thesis. – Download PDF
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- Flyer announcing my public defence
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- Opening of session by the chair of the board of jurors Professor Dr Olivier Degomme
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- Delivering my presentation
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- Delivering my presentation
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- A question by one of the jurors present in the room Professor Dr Jose Belizan
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- A question by one of the jurors, who connected remotely Professor Dr Joshua Amo Adjei
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- Me responding to the questions
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- Announcement of the decision by the chair of the board of jurors, Professor Dr Olivier Degomme
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- Ceremonial placing of the beret on my head by one of my three promoters, Professor Dr Souheila Abbeddou
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- Ceremonial placing of the beret on my head by one of my three promoters, Professor Dr Souheila Abbeddou
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- My expression of thanks
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- Remarks by two of my promoters, Professor Dr Marleen Temmerman and Professor Dr Kristien Michelsen
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- Group photograph with the jurors and promoters
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- Reception
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- With Prof Dr Marleen Temmerman who encouraged me to do the PhD
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- With Mr Randolph De Battista member of parliament for Malta
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- Group photograph with those present at the reception
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- Dinner on 24th May
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- My daughter Sarita with my beret on
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Video message by Prof Dr. Kristien Michelsen, one of my promoters |
Video message by Ms. Doortje Braeken, a close collaborator and friend |
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Announcement of the decision of the jurors by the chair Prof Olivier Degomme followed by Prof Dr Marleen Timmerman, my lead promoter |
My messages of thanks |
I invite you to share your comments and suggestion through the link provided below.
It was incredible to witness the defence in person, and to be a part of this very special day. I am so very proud of you Dad. The work you have done has contributed to making the world a better place, and the feedback you received from everyone is testament to your impact. I look forward to seeing what comes next!
Always in awe, your son, Rohit
Dear son,
Many thanks for your loving message.
I was so pleased to share this milestone with you. It brought back good memories of ceremonies to mark the completion of your schooling at the International School of Geneva, the commencement of your degree at the University of British Columbia, and the completion of your postgraduation at the University of Lugano.
I am proud to see who you have become and where you are going with your life. I look forward to more celebrations in the months and years ahead.
With affection,
Dad
Congratulations!!! You’re a role model and inspire me everyday. What an experience to witness your defense and as one of your jurors rightly said it was more of a lifetime achievement award consolidating all your work and sharing case studies for the future!
Lots of love,
Shweta
Dear Shweta,
Many thanks for your kind and appreciative message.
It was wonderful to have you and Rohit at this milestone event. Many thanks to you for all your help with travel and accommodation arrangements for family and friends in Ghent.
Shweta, I am just as impressed by you and your work, and especially how you have a created a space for yourself in the International Air Transport Association’s legal unit, and are moving ahead with energy and confidence. More power to you.
Chandra
Congratulations!!! This is really motivating. It is a pleasure working with you.
Dear Shabnam,
Many thanks for your kind message.
It is wonderful to work with you. Special thanks for the great work you did in laying out my PhD thesis summary.
With kind regards,
Chandra
Congratulations Chandra, what an excellent presentation on an extremely important topic. I am also enjoying the questions and find your answers deep and meaningful. You have and continue to make such an important contribution to adolescent health. Thank you.
Liz
Dear Liz,
Many thanks for your kind and appreciative message.
I have an enormous amount of respect for you and your work, and so your words are especially heartening.
My grateful thanks for all your support over the years.
With kind regards,
Chandra
Congratulations Dear Chandra!
Dear Raqibat,
Many thanks for joining my public defence and for your kind message.
It has been a real pleasure to work with you and Fionna at the Geneva Foundation for Medical Education and Research, and I look forward very much to building on this.
With kind regards,
Chandra
Chandra what an important lecture today’s presentation is not only for students of Public Health but also for the many organisations, local and international who can use this for orienting their staff.
Krishna
Dear Krishna, Many thanks for joining my public defence, virtually. It has been a privilege to be your colleague and friend for many years; your presence at my public defence meant a lot to me. Many thanks also for your appreciative message. In our shared work at WHO and beyond, we have strived to generate research evidence and programmatic experience that informs and shapes policies and programmes. I am pleased that you believe that the messages from my thesis will be relevant and useful for those working to improve the sexual and reproductive health of young people everywhere. I look… Read more »
Well deserved Chandra!
Dear Lauri,
Many thanks for joining my public defence and for your kind message.
Your support and contribution to my work over the years, were precious to me. Our friendship was just as important.
With warm regards,
Chandra
Thanks for sharing your thesis and other materials, Chandra.
I thoroughly enjoyed your defense and seeing old friends on all sides. You were brilliant.
Dear John,
Many thanks for joining my public defence and for your kind message.
I have been inspired by you and your work for over a quarter of a century. Given this, your comments are especially heartening.
With my grateful thanks and best wishes,
Chandra
Dear Chandra, congratulations with your presentation.
Kathya
Dear Kathya,
Many thanks for joining my public defence and for your kind message.
It has been a real pleasure to get to know you and to work with you over the years.
I look forward very much to building on this.
With kind regards,
Chandra
Congratulations, well done! Dr. Chandra for well informative presentation.
Looking forward to reading and using the whole paper.
From a colleague and former Ghent University student.
Dear Wegen,
Many thanks for joining my public defence and for your kind message.
It has been a real pleasure to get to know you and to work with you to build capacity and to strengthen action at the woreda level, in Ethiopia.
I wish you all the very best for the good work you are doing, and look forward to contributing to and drawing from your work.
With kind regards,
Chandra
Congratulations, dear Chandra!! Great presentation, as usual!!!
Dear Galina, Many thanks for joining my public defence and for your kind message. It has been a privilege to get to know you and to work with you. What you have achieved is truly impressive. Starting with one initiative, you have extended your reach and influence nationwide, and in addition have served as a model to other countries in Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and beyond. I wish you all the very best for the good work you are doing, and look forward to continuing to work with you, and to learn from and with you. With kind… Read more »
Congratulations, dear Chandra!!
Engaging and informative as usual.
Sonja
Dear Sonja,
Many thanks for joining my public defence and for your kind message.
It has been a real pleasure to get to know you and to work with you.
I wish you all the very best for the good work you are doing, and look forward to contributing to and drawing from your work.
With kind regards,
Chandra
I have to drop off now for the UNESCO launch of Building Strong Foundations – focus on 5-12 year olds where Chandra’s presence is sorely missed right now. We had invited him to give the keynote address precisely because of all of this work of his and the vast impact he has had on the field of sexuality education, adolescent development, and adolescent sexuality. Many congratulations Chandra and this PhD has enhanced the field even further.
Arushi Singh
Dear Arushi,
Many thanks for joining in for my public defence even though you were busy with the Foundational Education launch.
Many thanks for your very kind message.
It has been wonderful to learn and share with you, and I look forward very much to building on this.
With warm regards,
Chandra
Congratulations Dr. Chandra!
Dear Dr Desai,
Many thanks for joining my public defence and for your kind message.
It has been a real pleasure to get to know you and to work with you.
I wish you all the very best for the good work you are doing, and look forward to contributing to and drawing from your work.
With kind regards,
Chandra
Congratulations Chandra!
This work (as has been true of so much of your work!) will be a valuable contribution in helping to inform policy and planning to strengthen CSE to increase scale and sustainability!
Linda
Dear Linda,
Many thanks for your kind and appreciative message.
A huge focus of your work in USAID was on supporting the translation of evidence to action. Given this, your message is especially rewarding.
I look forward to working with you to engage Rotary International clubs around the world to contribute to strengthening sexuality education in their homes and communities.
With warm regards,
Chandra
Congratulations Chandra! I feel fortunate to have been able to participate today and hear you go from Dr. Chandra to Dr. Dr. Chandra.
Ilene
Dear Ilene,
Many thanks for your kind message.
It was wonderful to have you, a longstanding collaborator and friend, present and to feel your support.
With warm regards,
Chandra
Sukanta Chatterjee
Congratulations Dr Chandra. Learned a lot from your presentation on CSE
Dear Chandra, congratulations,
I am honored to being part of your presentation. As always very informative, engaging and educational.
You are a wonderful role model!!
Silvia
Dear Silvia,
Many thanks for your kind and appreciative message.
I recall with affection our work over ten years ago to document Nigeria’s Family Life and HIV Education. I am so pleased that you were able to see how the work we started together has grown and evolved to where it is today.
With warm regards,
Chandra
Sexuality education in adolescence is left out to themselves with parents teachers and other stakeholders are uncomfortable to talk about it to them in appropriate time. Health care providers are not exceptions. I am really impressed by the life long work of Dr Chandramouli on sexuality education. Appreciate that the Ghent University has awarded the Doctor of Science to him to recognise his work. Congratulations Chandra.
Dear Sukanta,
Many thanks for joining my public defence, and many thanks for your kind and appreciative message.
You are absolutely right that we are failing our children and adolescents because we are not willing or able to acknowledge that they are sexual beings, and because we are uncomfortable to discuss the matter.
I applaud you for your willingness to change the situation, and am very pleased to support your efforts in this area.
With warm regards,
Chandra
Dear friend, It has been an honor and true pleasure to witness your public defense of your PhD today. I am so sorry that I was unable to join you in person but please know that I was with you fully connected as always. As you know I am from Luxembourg , and in my country we have a famous dancing procession which takes place every year in May in the medieval city of Echternach – people dance two step ahead and one back… working on CSE over the last decades has very much been two steps forward one back…… Read more »
Chandra,
It has been a pleasure to listen to you.
Thank you very much for the invitation and congratulations for the great work.
You have answered the questions with a lot of competence and sympathy.
Excellent.
Pablo Lopez
Heartfelt congratulations Chandra, you are such an inspiration – on so many levels.
I couldn’t possibly be prouder of you!
This was the best and most interesting defense I’ve attended, well done!
Sheri
Dear Sheri,
Many thanks for joining my public defence and for your kind and appreciative comments.
A warm hug,
Chandra
Dear Chandra, It is a remarkable achievement to undertake and finish the PhD. Heartiest congratulations! I heard your defence online and was amazed at the clear communication and articulation of your responses to a range of questions. The subject of CSE itself is complex as much as it is critical for the wellbeing of children, adolescents and young people. Your positive deviance case studies has contributed significantly to clarity on how does it work and how different cultures could implement CSE effectively. You have been a leading light on ASRH and your work over the decades has assisted countries to… Read more »
Effie Chipeta
Well done Chandra. I always like to listen to you presenting
Dear Effie,
Many thanks for joining my public defence and for your kind and appreciative comments.
I have good memories of our work together on the Global Early Adolescent Study and on the Implementation Research on feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of improving the fidelity and quality of sexuality education outside the school setting.
I look forward to keeping in touch and building on this shared work.
With warm regards,
Chandra
Cherylnn Dumbura
Congratulations, Dr Chandra. Well deserved.
Dear Cherylnn,
Many thanks my friend for your appreciation.
With warm regards,
Chandra
Gwyn Hainsworth
Congratulations Chandra! It was a privilege to be able to participate today and listen to your work on CSE.
Archana Patkar
Congratulations Chandra on this huge body of learning, perspectives and knowledge. This will certainly inform, enrich and embolden the important efforts that lie ahead on sexuality education. We remain strong soldiers in the work ahead.
Congratulations Dr Chandra. You have been at the forefront in the AYSRH ecosystem globally. We Ethiopians have benefited a lot to progress the issue of adolescent health in the health system. Your contributions are so valuable. Thank you so much and wish you a happy long life with your beloved daughter, Serita.
Congratulations, Dr Chandra. This was an awesome session. Thank you so much for introducing me formally to adolescent health. I feel super proud event time I am citing your work in my ongoing studies.
Thanks for sharing this with me, Dr. Chandramouli. The illustrations stood out for me! The most engaging PhD summary I have ever read. It is so lucid and insightful. Really hoping and wishing that this amazing piece of knowledge gets scaled. Many Congratulations!
Thanks for sharing this with me, Dr. Chandramouli. The illustrations stood out for me! The most engaging PhD summary I have ever read. It is so lucid and insightful. Really hoping and wishing that this amazing piece of knowledge gets scaled. Many Congratulations!
Hats off to you, Dr Chandra, for your outstanding job !!!. Your have invaluable contribution to adolescent sexual reproductive health in every corner of the world and we learned a great lessons from you. My heartfelt wish for next adventure.
Vandana Nair
Congrats, Chandra
Huge congratulations Dr Chandra
What an important thesis. As always, you are clear and practical. You have tirelessly worked on improving the lives of young people at scale. Thank you for your constant effort in wanting to make the world a better place.
My very best wishes
Grethe
Dear Chandra,
Thank you for sharing this link. I really love the illustrated summary of your thesis. It’s also great to see the photos of the event and the celebration. Congratulations again!
Katie
My dear friend Chandra,
Congratulations!!!!
The field of Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights has been profoundly enriched by your contributions. Your thesis is one more valuable contribution.
The PhD is indeed like a lifetime achievement award. You have many more miles to go. I hope I am there to continue sharing and learning from you.
Regards and warm wishes,
Ashok
Dear Chandra, I am so grateful that you have shared this with me, and I look forward to reading your thesis and looking at the gallery. We are very fortunate as a field for the gift of your research and the work you have done to ground adolescent srhr and I know that the official doctorate is here, but the work you have done is truly inspiring and ground breaking, and has really been a big part of my work and life. Many congratulations to you sir, and I hope you are still celebrating this big achievement.… Read more »
Dear Chandra,
Congratulations on your great achievement! I am truly inspired by the immense contribution you have made to uplift comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) for adolescents, especially in challenging contexts. You are not only a mentor but also a role model for me, with your excellent communication skills and analytical thinking. Your work has empowered me to strive for positive change in my local community.
I wish you continued success and many more milestones in the coming years.
Best regards,
Asanthi
Wonderful! Thanks so very much Chandra. Very exciting to see this!
Warm greetings, dearest Dr Chandra. Congratulations on everything you have achieved over the 30 years. I am glad to have attended you thesis defence. It was a wonderful and exceptional work.
Have a blessed day.
Dear Chandra, Congratulations on your outstanding achievements! I am truly inspired by the comprehensive efforts you have made to enhance adolescent sexual and reproductive health (SRH). I have witnessed firsthand the dedication you’ve shown in tackling this challenging area, and it has motivated me deeply. You have been a mentor and role model to me, and the knowledge I gained from you has empowered me to initiate SRH activities in my home country. Your exceptional communication skills, analytical prowess, and unwavering commitment have been instrumental in reaching this significant milestone. We are immensely proud of your accomplishments and eagerly anticipate… Read more »