NTU College of Public Health's Global Health Program

Joins the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region

The Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER) stands as a unique international organization dedicated to strengthening public health education, research, and policy formulation across Europe. It plays a pivotal role in advancing public health initiatives and knowledge dissemination.

ASPHER organizes the annual ASPHER Deans’ & Directors’ Retreat, featuring workshops, scientific presentations, poster displays, thematic forums, and networking opportunities. The upcoming 2024 conference in Porto, Portugal, hosted by Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto (ISPUP), promises a vibrant platform with keynote speeches from renowned experts, interactive workshops on emerging public health topics, and extensive networking opportunities for global professionals in the field. 

The 2024 ASPHER conference forum was held at the Almeida Garrett Library Conference Hall in Porto, Portugal. 

National Taiwan University’s College of Public Health actively engages in international public health exchanges. In 2017, it joined the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH), and in 2024, the college held a Director’s Retreat in Yilan, Taiwan. During the retreat, the directors extensively discussed and reached a consensus, anticipating that the College of Public Health could engage in exchanges and collaborations with more educators, researchers, and institutions worldwide dedicated to public health endeavors. Dean Shou-Hsia Cheng directed the Global Health Program (GHP) to apply for ASPHER membership, recognizing the potential for enhanced international visibility and collaboration.

The GHP diligently prepared and submitted NTU's membership application to ASPHER, leading to a successful presentation by Director Kun-Hsien Tsai and Project Coordinator Kun-Hong Chiang at the 2024 Porto conference. Their presentation highlighted NTU’s teaching and research plans as well as faculty and student achievements, securing unanimous approval from ASPHER's voting members.

On June 5, 2024, during the ASPHER closed-door meeting of leaders, Director Kun-Hsien Tsai from NTU's College of Public Health Global Health Program (GHP) presented the project report. Project Coordinator Kun-Hong Chiang elaborated on NTU's achievements in global engagement. Subsequently, there were discussions and inquiries regarding the membership application of the NTU College of Public Health’s Global Health Program. Following extensive deliberations among the 45 voting deans and directors present, the chair announced and congratulated NTU's College of Public Health GHP on the unanimous approval of their membership application, solidifying its position as one of the few non-European associate members of the association.

Professor Kun-Hsien Tsai, Director of the NTU Global Health Program, presented the membership project report during the closed-door meeting at the ASPHER Deans' & Directors' Retreat held by the UniversityofPorto in Portugal.

ASPHER currently includes 150 public health organizations from 57 countries. NTU's College of Public Health GHP is the third member approved in East Asia, alongside Mongolia and Japan, and the first academic institution in Taiwan to join ASPHER. Moreover, it is the sole academic unit in Asia, holding memberships in the American ASPPH and the European ASPHER.

In the future, NTU's College of Public Health will actively engage in ASPHER’s public health-related activities, forging networks and partnerships with ASPHER members and collaborators. The college will facilitate teaching and research collaborations between NTU faculty and ASPHER partner institutions. Additionally, it plans to offer students internship and practicum opportunities within the ASPHER network and to send students and junior faculty to participate in the Young Researchers Forum. Through ASPHER's network, NTU's College of Public Health aims to enhance its visibility in Europe, encouraging more European students to consider applying to the college.

The international academic organizations currently attended by NTU College of Public Health.

At the ASPHER conference, meaningful discussions and exchanges of practical experiences in public health education took place with experts from Europe and the United States, including ASPHER President Dr. Carlo Signorelli, ASPPH President Dr. Laura Magaña, and deans and directors from diverse European schools of public health. Additionally, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center (TECC) in Portugal, under the guidance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, provided valuable support that significantly enhanced GHP's engagement in international affairs.

Upon returning from the conference, Director Kun-Hsien Tsai visited Representative Tsung-Che Chang at the TECC. Discussions centered on assessing current cooperation between Taiwan and Portugal and fostering collaborative relationships between GHP and local public health academic institutions. Representative Chang also congratulated GHP on its successful ASPHER membership, emphasizing its potential to enhance public health education development in Taiwan and Portugal.

Director Kun-Hsien Tsai of NTU's College of Public Health GHP at the 2024 ASPHER Deans' & Directors' Retreat with public health experts: (From Left to Right) ASPHER President Dr. Carlo Signorelli, ASPPH President Dr. Laura Magaña, and ASPHER Secretary Director Dr. Robert Otok.

Visiting the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in Portugal: (From Left to Right) Director Kun-Hsien Tsai, Representative Tsung-Che Chang, and Project Coordinator Kun-Hong Chiang.