“Towards Sustainable Development”:International Public Health Development Forum

On June 11, the Yonsei Wonju Campus’s Global Health Center and Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation Office of Research Affairs (IACFORA, http://wresearch.yonsei.ac.kr/) hosted an International Public Health Development Forum with the theme “Towards Sustainable Development.” The forum, sponsored by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), is held eight times a year, and this was the first in the series. IACFORA Director Shin Tae-min provided the welcoming address. This was followed by presentations and discussions on issues related to international development and regional area cooperation strategies, as well as successful case studies concerning Millennium Village and sustainable public health training in Africa. 

The Wonju Global Health Center was established March 1, 2014 as part of IACFORA, and its purpose is to keep pace with the continuing internationalization of public health and the expansion of Official Development Assistance (ODA). Overall, its mission is to decrease global poverty, promote sustainable development, and improve global health.

The Global Health Center continues to grow and evolve as a major research center for international public health; as such, it is closely linked with a number of domestic and international universities and NGOs concerned with public health issues worldwide. As of this year, the center has received more than 800 million won in grants and funding. Moving forward, it plans to embark on a number of development projects in collaboration with Yonsei’s Institute for Poverty Alleviation and International Development (IPAID) and other medical and welfare research centers.