(Press-News.org) Korea University College of Medicine (Dean Sung Bom Pyun; Principal Investigator Byung Chul Chun, MD, PhD, MPH) successfully concluded the 2025 Lee Jong-Wook Fellowship on Infectious Disease Specialists Program on October 17. The program is jointly organized by Korea University College of Medicine and GC Labs under the auspices of the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH).
The Lee Jong-Wook Fellowship was established in honor of the late Dr. Jong-Wook Lee, the 6th Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), to continue his lifelong commitment to strengthening global health capacity. The fellowship invites health professionals from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to Korea to enhance their expertise in public health and clinical practice.
This year, a total of 31 health professionals from nine Asian and African countries participated in the program. From September to October, Korea University College of Medicine led the advanced Epidemiology, Clinical Treatment, and Research & Diagnosis Courses, providing intensive training for 21 clinicians and senior public health officials. The curriculum covered the full spectrum of infectious disease management—from surveillance and diagnosis to treatment and prevention—through both theoretical lectures and hands-on exercises.
Participants also took part in on-site field visits to leading public health and research institutions, including the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), Seoul Metropolitan Government, National Medical Center, Jeonbuk Institute of Health and Environment, International Vaccine Institute (IVI), and Jeonju Public Health Center. These visits offered opportunities to learn from Korea’s practical experiences in infectious disease control and to strengthen participants’ field-based response capacities.
During the closing ceremony, Dr. Mahboob, and Dr. Ahmed from Bangladesh, and Banini from Ghana, delivered a reflection speech from each course, proposing the creation of a social networking group for program alumni to maintain collaboration beyond the training period. Following his suggestion, Papa Kojo Arthur from Ghana established an official Facebook group on October 21 to serve as a continuous communication and knowledge-sharing platform for fellows. Dr. Ahmed also proposed hosting post-training webinars for fellows to exchange updates on their action plans and share implementation progress.
A similar alumni engagement initiative was previously piloted by GC Labs in 2022 during the Tuberculosis Response Experts Course, where former fellows joined action plan presentations and provided feedback to new participants. The positive response from both current and former fellows demonstrated the value of sustained peer learning. The new SNS-based network is expected to further enhance continuity, visibility, and collaboration among fellows across countries.
Dean Sung Bom Pyun remarked, “This program embodies the spirit of the late Dr. Lee Jong-Wook’s vision of Health for All. Korea University College of Medicine is proud to contribute to this global endeavor toward equitable health and stronger medical systems.”
Principal Investigator Professor Byung Chul Chun emphasized, “Through this program, participants have gained structured exposure to Korea’s public health and clinical systems, which I hope will inspire meaningful improvements in their own countries’ infectious disease preparedness and response.” He added, “Beyond technical training, this fellowship has fostered a shared understanding of the importance of international collaboration in addressing global health threats. Korea University College of Medicine will continue to expand its academic and operational partnerships to strengthen the capacity of global health professionals.”
Ms. Hye-jin Jung, Team Lead of the Lee Jong-Wook Fellowship Academy at KOFIH, also congratulated the fellows, stating, “You are no longer mere beneficiaries but active agents of change. We look forward to your continued engagement through the KOFIH Global Alumni (KGA) network.”
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