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The WHS Academic Alliance

The "WHS Academic Alliance" (formerly M8 Alliance) is the academic network of the World Health Summit. It currently consists of around 30 members worldwide, including the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP), which represents the national academies of medicine and science in more than 100 countries.

The Alliance was initiated by Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin in 2009 on the occasion of the first World Health Summit. The International Presidency of the World Health Summit rotates annually among members of the WHS Academic Alliance. 

Goal

Agenda-setting for global health improvement and promotion of science-based solutions to global health challenges.

Impact

At the World Health Summit in October in Berlin, the WHS Academic Alliance contributes to the main program of the WHS by co-hosting up to 10 sessions each year.

The annual WHS Regional Meetings are always hosted by members of the WHS Academic Alliance. In addition, the Alliance organizes various other activities within the network, such as awards, Expert Meetings and research projects.

Activities

The WHS Academic Alliance members work together on a range of issues, such as Migrant and Refugee Health. Every year, there is an Alliance track at the annual WHS.

Alliance News

Governance

Executive Committee

The WHS Academic Alliance Executive Committee is elected by the WHS Academic Alliance from amongst its members and has the purpose to speak and act for its interests. It represents the network publicly and assumes operative responsibility.

Axel Radlach Pries
Axel R. Pries
President
World Health Summit
Germany
Portrait of Balvir S. Tomar
Balvir S. Tomar
International President 2025 & Founder and Chancellor
NIMS University
India
Portrait of Lukoye Atwoli
Lukoye Atwoli
Incoming International President 2026 & Professor and Dean & Deputy Director
Medical College East Africa & Brain and Mind Institute at the Aga Khan University
Kenya
Portrait of Sophia  Zoungas
Sophia Zoungas
International President 2024 Head
School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine Monash University
Australia
Portrait of Adnan   Hyder
Adnan Hyder
International President 2023 Senior Associate Dean & Professor
Global Health Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University
United States of America
Portrait of Amirhossein  Takian
Amirhossein Takian
International President 2019 Director & Vice Dean
Department of Global Health and Public Policy & School of Public Health Tehran University of Medical Sciences
Iran
Portrait of Yik-Ying Teo
Yik-Ying Teo
Vice President (Global Health) & Dean
National University of Singapore & Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health
Singapore
Portrait of Luis Almeida  Sampaio
Luis Almeida Sampaio
Portuguese Ambassador to Prague & Delegate
University of Coimbra
Portugal
Portrait of Damalie  Nakanjako
Damalie Nakanjako
Professor of Medicine and Principal
Makerere University College of Health Sciences
Uganda
Portrait of Feyza Nur   Tuncer
Feyza Nur Tuncer
Head
International Academic Relations Department & Institutional Erasmus Coordinator at Istanbul Universtiy
Turkey
Portrait of Daniela De Biase
Daniela De Biase
Professor and Internationalization Coordinator
Faculty of Pharmacy and Medicine Sapienza University of Rome
Italy
Portrait of Julian  Kickbusch
Julian Kickbusch
Senior Program Director
World Health Summit
Germany

Membership

If you are an academic institution interested in becoming a member of the WHS Academic Alliance, please contact us for details.

The following criteria are mandatory:

- Highest quality of the institution with respect to overall academic excellence and standing in its country or region
- Proven expertise in areas relevant for global health
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion as characteristics of the institution
- Suitability of the institution to the search profile of the WHS Academic Alliance 

New members are elected by the WHS Academic Alliance assembly.

The WHS Academic Alliance