CCOUC Marks 15th Anniversary with Public Forum on Disaster Risk and Health Resilience

As part of its 15th anniversary celebrations, the Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response (CCOUC), in collaboration with the Centre for Global Health (CGH), hosted a public forum titled “Disaster Risk and Health Resilience: Insights from Academia, Education and Practice” on 9 June 2026. Held in a hybrid format at the JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), the forum brought together international scholars, educators and humanitarian practitioners to exchange perspectives on disaster risk reduction and health resilience.

The forum opened with remarks from Professor Sian Griffiths, Professor Emily Chan and Professor Hein M. Tun. Professor Saini Yang from the Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) programme delivered a featured talk on IRDR's contributions to the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, highlighting the role of international scientific collaboration in advancing disaster risk management.

The education and research sessions featured scholars from the Hazard Literacy Centre at Ewha Womans University, South Korea. Dr Jihee Lee introduced the Centre's research and educational initiatives in hazard literacy, while Dr Youjin Hong discussed the spatial transfer of risk associated with waste treatment facility siting, examining regional vulnerability and environmental justice from a spatial analysis perspective. Professor Dong Dong from CUHK's JC School of Public Health and Primary Care explored approaches to building health resilience through inclusive risk communication in Hong Kong.

Bringing a frontline humanitarian perspective, Dr Grace Poon from GX Foundation shared experiences from dengue prevention and control initiatives, illustrating the practical challenges and opportunities of translating public health knowledge into community-based interventions. The forum concluded with closing remarks from Dr Chunlan Guo, Assistant Director of CCOUC.

Through interdisciplinary dialogue connecting research, education and frontline practice, the forum highlighted the importance of translating scientific knowledge into practical strategies for disaster preparedness, risk communication and health resilience. The event also marked a significant milestone in CCOUC's 15-year commitment to advancing disaster risk reduction, public health research and international collaboration.