“M8 Alliance of Academic Health Centers, and Medical Universities” is a network of academic institutions of educational and research excellence. It is the international collaboration that harnesses the academic backbone of the annual World Health Summit which was first officially inaugurated in 2009 in Berlin, Germany. Now in its third year, World Health Summit will take place from October 23-26 October 2011 in Berlin.
The M8’s vision outlined by its profile is ‘to seek to improve global health and works with political and economic decision makers and civil society to develop science-based solutions for health challenges worldwide’. M8 Alliance acts:
It is the M8's vision to harness academic excellence to improve global health.
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The M8 Alliance currently consists of twelve members. The international breadth of the network is represented by the five continents that it encompasses. Following, the second World Health Summit in 2010, The M8 Alliance welcomed South America and South-East Asia, in the capacity of São Paulo University and the National University of Singapore respectively.
2010 marked Prof. Eduardo Krieger from The University of São Paulo acceptance of the invitation by the M8 Alliance. The University of São Paulo stands to be the largest and most highly regarded institutions of both research and higher education in Brazil.
With 90,000 students spread over seven campuses which house 40 research and learning units, five hospitals, five specialized institutes, in addition to laboratories and multiple scientific and cultural centers, the M8 Alliance is delighted to have taken this prestigious Latin American university on board and by doing so further increase the international richness of its network.
During the second World Health Summit in 2010 it was proposed that the National University of Singapore (NUS) were to be included into the M8 Alliance. Following these discussions, Prof. John Wong, the dean of NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine gratefully accepted the invitation, expanding the M8 Alliance’s advocacy with its South-East Asian fellows.
National University of Singapore (NUS) medical school; The Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, established in 1905 represented the first academic body in Singapore's history dedicated to tertiary education. Today it is one of the most sought after Academic Health Centres in South-East Asia echoed by its mission statement which seeks to ‘advance knowledge and foster innovation, educate students and nurture talent in service of Singapore and society’.
The M8 Alliance met in Melbourne in March 2011 to prepare the 3rd World Health Summit which is to be held in Berlin at the Langenbeck-Virchow-Haus from October 23-26 October 2011.
The meeting was hosted by Prof. David de Kretser, the Governor of the State of Victoria, and Prof. Steve Wesselingh, Dean of Monash University, Australia and attended by deans and delegates from the M8 institutions.
The main topics of discussion were the future projects of the M8 Alliance and setting the agenda for the 3rd World Health Summit. From the meeting it was decided that this year’s theme is: “Today’s Science – Tomorrow’s Agenda”. The title illustrates the linking of scientific and other evidence that will shape tomorrow’s agenda in the field of global health.
The main topics that will be included in this year’s summit are:
The recent events in Japan, and succeeding a suggestion of the M8 Alliance member, Kyoto University, a special session called “Health Prevention and Medical Responses after Mega Disasters” will also be included into this year’s program.