On March 4, 2026, a one-day intensive workshop titled “Governance, Communication & Surge Coordination for Health Security” was held at Kyoto University. The seminar was organized by the Center for Health Security of the Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine. The aim of the workshop was to gain a systematic understanding of the crisis response process from the perspective of how health care systems respond when an international health crisis occurs in the field of global health. On the day, over 20 participants from outside the university (including several Japanese leaders in disaster medicine) and Kyoto University graduate students gathered to hold discussions and exercises.
The workshop was delivered by Dr. Flavio Salio, who leads the Emergency Medical Team (EMT) Network at the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarter in Geneva, Switzerland. Drawing on his experience in international emergency response, Dr. Salio introduced key concepts related to healthcare system resilience, governance, communication, and surge coordination in the context of global health security, and conducted practical training with the participants.
The wide range of participants, from experts with international experience to young people aspiring to work in this field, came from both inside and outside the university, providing an opportunity for cross-disciplinary networking between participants with different backgrounds, including academia, medicine, public health administration, and NGOs.
According to feedback collected from participants after the workshop, the opportunity to learn directly from a specialist and to exchange perspectives with experienced participants was particularly appreciated. The workshop provided a valuable opportunity for students, researchers, and professionals to deepen their understanding of international health emergency coordination and governance.
The Center for Health Security will continue to provide training opportunities by inviting world-leading experts.