Canadian University Dubai(CUD) and the University of Oxford have officially launched The Global Health Network's regional hub for the MENA region on campus at CUD Dubai City Walk. The ceremony was presided over by Dr. Raja Al Gurg, trustee on the Board of Trustees and Chairperson of the Board of Directors for Al Jalila Foundation, the global philanthropic healthcare organization. The hub of TGHN MENA will focus on research on providing evidence towards responsible integration of artificial intelligence in global healthcare practices.
CUD Chancellor, Mr. Buti Saeed Al Ghandi, and Director of The Global Health Network, Professor Trudie Lang inaugurated the new hub before an audience of regional and international academics and the wider university community. The ceremony establishes CUD as a regional platform to bring prominent academic institutions together with government and non-government entities to explore and advance the potential of health research capacity and AI in public health.
Opening the event, Dr. Aseel Takshe, Dean of the School of Environmental and Health Sciences at CUD explained, “This Network involves strategic partners from 14 countries, and has been established to facilitate research and knowledge exchange on public health issues specific to the MENA region. On behalf of the university, I would like to express how proud we are to be part of this collaboration with the University of Oxford Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health”.
Delivering the inaugural address, Mr. Al Ghandi said, “This event marks the beginning of an important initiative that aligns with both the UAE’s Health Vision and the UAE 2031 Vision, positioning our nation as a premier hub of innovation and leadership on the global stage. Through this Network, we aim to enhance reciprocity in public health education and research, ensuring the positioning of the MENA region as an Avant Garde hub for global healthcare innovation and education. Together, we have the power to not only address the pressing health challenges of today, but to create a sustainable and prosperous future where health equity prevails, and all members of society thrive”.
In her keynote address, Professor Lang explained the background to the creation of TGHN MENA, which was first discussed at the 2022 Global Health Network Conference in Cape Town. CUD Assistant Professor, Dr. Mohammed Alkhaldi, was selected for one of just 16 speaker positions from over 4000 abstracts submitted to the conference, with his paper on enabling health research. Professor Lang said, “This is exactly what the Global Health Network aims to achieve, to connect everyone involved in public health to generate evidence that can improve healthcare outcomes. At present, 90% of health research benefits only 10% of the global population, and we need a paradigm change”.
Going on to explain the importance of the regional Network, Professor Lang added, “We work with frontline health workers across the globe to support them in leading their own health research programs relevant to their own region, and to share their knowledge locally. MENA has its own unique health challenges, and the Arab speaking world has the opportunity to be a pioneer in specific areas of health research”.
The inauguration ceremony was enhanced by live art performance from the Canadian artist Sylvain Tremblay and a musical presentation from CUD's student music club, underlining themes of sustainability and wellbeing. Regional partner academics held panel discussions and technical sessions where CUD students showcased research on public health priorities in the MENA region.
Then he presented the future objectives that the hub is trying for, saying, "The hub is aiming to aim for equity in health research environments. Our knowledge community in the MENA region wants to help in developing data science and developing a health program that will eventually make each healthcare setting much better".
