WHS Academic Alliance
The WHS Academic Alliance, Founded by Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, unites 30 leading academic institutions to strengthen evidence-based global health policy and international cooperation.
About the WHS Academic Alliance
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The WHS Academic Alliance (formerly M8 Alliance) is the scientific network of the World Health Summit, bringing together 30 leading academic institutions from all continents. Founded by Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin in 2009, the Alliance fosters international collaboration, connects the scientific community to inform global health agendas, and supports evidence-based health policy and practice.
The International Presidency of the World Health Summit rotates annually among members of the WHS Academic Alliance. Each presiding institution also hosts the WHS Regional Meeting that year.
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Alliance Impact
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Annual WHS Regional Meetings
Each year, the World Health Summit is complimented by a Regional Meeting in a different part of the world, where local and regional topics come to the forefront. Each meeting is hosted by the WHS Academic Alliance member holding the World Health Summit International Presidency, which rotates every year.
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Co-hosted sessions at the World Health Summit 2025
The WHS Academic Alliance shapes not only the Global Health Agenda but also the #WHS2025 Program by co-hosting 11 sessions
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WHS Academic Alliance Declaration in Nature Medicine
In this official WHS Academic Alliance Declaration, members of the WHS Academic Alliance, including WHS President Prof. Dr. Axel R. Pries, highlight the importance of free science and global partnerships to achieve worldwide health goals.
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Nairobi, Kenya
The WHS Regional Meeting 2026, hosted by Aga Khan University under the leitmotif “Reimagining Africa’s Health Systems: Innovation, Integration, and Interdependence”, brought together leaders and changemakers from across the African continent and beyond.
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Alliance Activities
Through a range of collaborative activities – such as thematic working groups and expert meetings, joint policy briefs, and collaborative commissions – member institutions of the WHS Academic Alliance engage in sustained collaboration to advance evidence-based solutions to global health challenges.
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Health and Science Diplomacy
Bringing together more than 17 experts across 11 WHS Academic Alliance member institutions representing countries across geopolitical blocs, with the Global Health Institute at the American University of Beirut serving as secretariat.
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"Academic Responsibility in a Fragmenting World"
This high-level symposium on “Academic Responsibility in a Fragmenting World”, co-hosted by the World Health Summit with the Manipal Academy for Higher Education (MAHE), marked the kick-off of the WHS Academic Alliance and the Lancet Commission on Academic Responsibility.
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Oral Health and General Health
The WHS Academic Alliance just launched its first Working Group on Oral Health and General Health. Bringing together more than 30 experts across 12 WHS Academic Alliance member institutions from around the world, with Sapienza University of Rome serving as coordinator, the group focuses on strengthening the link between oral health and overall health.
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Maternal & Child Health
The first WHS Academic Alliance Working Group was officially launched at WHS 2025, in collaboration with UNICEF and Blockchain for Impact (BFI), with NIMS University (India) serving as the central secretariat.
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WHS Academic Alliance Best Thesis Prize 2026
The World Health Summit (WHS) Academic Alliance, in collaboration with the Roma Sapienza Foundation, is awarding a €5,000 prize for the best specialization or doctoral thesis in Health Sciences, with a focus on global health.
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Coimbra Health Global Voices Fellowships
As part of the WHS Academic Alliance, Coimbra Health has launched the Global Voices Fellowships to support the participation of young clinicians and medical students from Portuguese-speaking countries (CPLP) in the World Health Summit 2025, taking place in Berlin from October 12–14.
Alliance Publications
A curated selection of scientific publications, policy briefs, and collaborative research outputs from across the WHS Academic Alliance. Collectively, these contributions reflect the Alliance’s commitment to strengthening connections within the scientific community and advancing evidence-based health policy and practice.
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2025 Berlin | WHS Academic Alliance Declaration: Academic freedom and meaningful international cooperation are needed to safeguard good health and well-being globally
Nature Medicine Correspondence
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Artificial Intelligence in migrant health: a critical perspective on opportunities and risks
The Lancet Regional Health Europe
October 2025
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Health: A Political Choice - The Future of Health in a Fractured World
Publication launched at World Health Summit 2025, Berlin
October 2025
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Joint Call Reinforcing the Commitment to Addressing Migration & Health
Endorsed by the WHS Academic Alliance, jointly with Virchow Foundation and various partners
June 2025
Digital solutions for migrant and refugee health: a framework for analysis and action
The Lancet Regional Health Europe
March 2025
See all publications
Alliance News
Governance
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.
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Contact
If you have any questions or would like to get in touch, our team is here to help. Please contact us via the botton below.