Professor Masahiro Hashizume Speaks at the 5th World Health Forum in Beijing

Professor Masahiro Hashizume, Head of the Department of GHP, participated as an invited speaker at the 5th World Health Forum held on 2 November at Tsinghua University’s Vanke School of Public Health. The plenary session, titled “Climate and Health Governance: Educational Collaboration and Academic Innovation,” brought together international leaders from academia, global health organizations, and climate research institutions.

The forum highlighted how climate change is reshaping global health and emphasized the essential role of cross-disciplinary education and international research collaboration in strengthening resilience. Speakers included Professor Samuel Myers from Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Jie Cai, Editor-in-Chief of The Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific, and Associate Professor John Ji from Tsinghua University, who served as the session chair.

In his presentation, Professor Hashizume introduced recent progress of the Japan Planetary Health Alliance and its efforts to advance educational and research cooperation across Japan and East Asia. Key initiatives include academic workshops, youth summer programs, and the development of interdisciplinary curricula designed to integrate planetary health concepts into training for future public health leaders. He also highlighted the establishment of Planetary Health Research Centers at the University of Tokyo and Nagasaki University, as well as the launch of a new doctoral program to foster scholars equipped with both scientific expertise and policy leadership.