Vision, mission and values

1. Vision, mission and values Adopted by UAEM Board February 2009

2. VISION Universities and publicly funded research institutions will be part of the solution to the access to medicines crisis by promoting medical innovation in the public interest and ensuring that all people regardless of income have access to essential medicines and other health-related technologies.

3. Mission As a private non-profit organization rooted in a movement of university students, UAEM aims to - promote access to medicines for people in developing countries by changing norms and practices around university patenting and licensing - ensure that university medical research meets the needs of the majority of the world’s population - empower students to respond to the access and innovation crisis

4. Values (1) • As committed students from all over the world who passionately believe in social justice and health equity, we find it unacceptable that millions of people do not have access to essential medicines. We are particularly concerned about people in developing countries who are disproportionately affected by the access to medicines crisis. • Universities have a social compact with society and, as educational and research institutions, they have a responsibility to promote and manage the deployment of innovations for the public benefit. In no field are the moral imperatives to do so as clear as they are in medicine.

5. Values (2) • Students are uniquely positioned to push for normative change in their universities and research institutions. We will use the intellectual sophistication, rigour and integrity of our members to fight for increased innovation as well as access to medicines and health-related technologies for all. • Our work is guided at all times by principles of non-partisanship, democracy, transparency and respect.