Leading global efforts to prevent the next pandemic

H.E. General Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of Thailand (middle) graces leaders from APRU and Chulalongkorn University with his presence at the APEC University Leaders’ Forum.

Given the immense upheaval brought about by COVID-19, the former Prime Minister of New Zealand, the Right Honourable Helen Clark, invited the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) to offer global leadership to prevent the next pandemic by addressing issues of global governance and ‘infodemic’, as well as devising improved public health strategies and developing assets in biomedical research and therapeutics. In response, an APRU Presidential Working Group for Pandemic Preparedness co-chaired by Prof. Rocky S. Tuan, CUHK Vice-Chancellor and APRU Vice-Chair, was formed to take up this challenge. Prof. Tuan also chairs a subgroup to identify social and cultural determinants of public health strategies.

Against this backdrop, APRU organised the APEC University Leaders’ Forum 2022 themed ‘Preventing the Next Pandemic – The Global Partnership Agenda: Governments, Business and Research Universities’ at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok in November. More than 20 influential leaders from across the corporate, civic, and education sectors engaged in high-level dialogues about preparing the human society for future pandemics through collaboration across sectors, institutions, and continents.

A side event of the APEC CEO Summit, the forum featured a keynote address by H.E. General Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of Thailand, a plenary address by Dr. Gene D. Block, Chancellor of the University of California, Los Angeles and APRU Chair, and three thought-provoking sessions which explored ways to foster collaborative efforts in research, setting public health strategies, and handling misinformation.

Prof. Rocky S. Tuan chaired the first session ‘Partnering on Biomedical Research’ which focused on improving biomedical responses in the state of global emergency. He underlined the urgency of promoting cooperation in biomedical research between governments, industry, academia, NGOs, and the community to address a global health crisis, especially in researching, manufacturing, assembling, and distributing medical, biomedical, and therapeutic resources. Prof. Emily Chan, Director of the Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response, was one of the speakers in the panel.

Prof. Rocky S. Tuan (left) steers high-level dialogues on ways to prevent the next pandemic.

Prof. Chi-yue Chiu, CUHK Dean of Social Science, leads an international study aiming to devise public health strategies suited to diverse socio-cultural contexts. Speaking at the second session, he highlighted that citizens’ trust in science is key to successful and effective response to the pandemic. He said, ‘Data tells us that trust in science is even more important that trust in governments when coping with the pandemic. It would be good for the scientists and the governments to work together so that their efforts are in alignment and the message to the public is consistent.’

At the concluding session, Prof. Tuan affirmed the forum’s success in opening new avenues for multi-faceted collaboration and creating a new global system to improve preparedness for threats to public health. He noted that universities are the most unifying platform and they have a responsibility to ensure that their research is leveraged for public benefit and that young people are equipped to become socially responsible citizens. He concluded, ‘Today is the beginning of an exciting, new conversation between the Asia Pacific’s higher education leaders, public policymakers, NGOs, and industry on how research, science, and education can ensure the world is better prepared, more resilient, and more collaborative in the pandemic era.’

To revisit the recorded live-streamed forum, please click here.