![Participants attend the 2026 Summer International Health Seminar at Raon Jena Hotel on Aug. 22. [Yeungnam University]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/09/07/news-p.v1.20260907.f90fb073fb5f44cd85fcab4f4d71790c_P1.jpg)
Yeungnam University's Graduate School of Environmental Health and Yeungnam University Medical Center held the 2026 Summer International Health Seminar at Raon Jena Hotel on Aug. 22, the university announced Monday.
About 50 people attended, including students and faculty from the graduate school's international development cooperation expert training program, officials from Yeungnam University Medical Center, representatives of local governments and public health institutions, and specialists in global health.
The seminar was organized as part of the Korea International Cooperation Agency's graduate-level international development cooperation expert training program.
Held under the theme "Experiences and Significance of Korea's Diverse Stakeholders in International Health Cooperation," the event brought together case studies from central and local governments, university hospitals, civic organizations and medical professional associations, with participants exploring models for cross-sector collaboration and future directions for the field.
The program consisted of two sessions followed by a general discussion.
Session 1, themed "Experiences and Challenges of Central and Local Government-Based International Health Cooperation," examined ways to ensure the sustainability of health infrastructure projects — including linking grant and concessional aid, managing and operating medical facilities after construction, building hospital information systems, and maintaining healthcare quality standards.
Session 2, focused on "International Health Practice Led by Civil Society and Medical Professionals," featured a range of field cases, including medical volunteer activities, free surgery support for children with disabilities in Vietnam and Laos, and overseas medical missions organized by the Daegu Medical Association.
The general discussion centered on the roles and cooperation strategies of each stakeholder in international health projects. Participants agreed that building locally sustainable operational systems and human capacity — beyond short-term support — is essential.
Hwang Tae-yun, a professor at Yeungnam University's Graduate School of Environmental Health who serves as the program's overall director, said the seminar was "a meaningful occasion to examine Korea's international health cooperation cases involving diverse stakeholders and to jointly explore ways to strengthen collaboration and chart the future direction of global health cooperation."
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