The National Centre for Global Health and Medicine (NCGM) held an important forum that brought together health experts, academics, and representatives from various international organizations on Tuesday, February 25, 2025. This event aimed to strengthen global cooperation networks in the field of health, particularly to support improvements in the quality of research and education in Southeast Asia and East Asia. In the forum, Gadjah Mada University through the Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing (FK-KMK) took part through the presence of Prof. dr. Jarir At Thobari, D.Pharm., Ph.D from the FK-KMK UGM Center for Child Health Studies.
In this presentation, Prof. Jarir emphasized the importance of contextual and sustainable child health research, especially in developing countries in Southeast Asia. He highlighted the multidimensional challenges faced in improving the quality of child health and the need for international support in the form of research collaboration, funding, and knowledge exchange. This topic is increasingly relevant in efforts to achieve SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being and SDG 4: Quality Education, which place education and health as the foundation of sustainable development.
This forum also featured other important figures, such as Dr. Daisuke Tokita, Secretary General of ARISE and Director of the International Testing Department, who discussed the strategic direction of global research collaboration and new initiatives in the field of clinical testing capacity development. Together with Dr. Sifa Muchanga and Dr. Tsukumi Tondokoro from ARISE, they emphasized the need for innovation in clinical trial procedures in order to respond to the specific needs of Asian communities.
Contributions from Dr. Jun Kitahara from the PMDA Asia Office further enriched the discussion by providing insights into the clinical trial regulatory system in Japan and how this regulatory framework can support the strengthening of health systems in Asia. Meanwhile, representatives from JICA—Mr. Sasaki Masahiro and Mrs. Windy—presented various forms of technical support and capacity building that their institution has carried out in the Asian region, in line with SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.
This event is more than just a scientific forum; it is a medium for strengthening cross-sector and cross-country collaboration, responding to the global call to strengthen partnerships in achieving SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals. With a collaborative spirit, this forum is expected to produce new policies and approaches to addressing global health issues through impactful research and relevant education.
The active involvement of FK-KMK UGM in this activity reflects the institution’s commitment to the development of knowledge based on international collaboration. This step is expected to bring real contributions to health policy development, academic capacity building, and strengthening Indonesia’s role in the global arena in efforts to create a fair, innovative, and sustainable health system. (Contributor: Dhimas Sholikhul Huda, Translator: Tedy A)
