Gyeongkuk National University hosts global symposium on emerging infectious disease response

Gyeongkuk National University's Glocal University Promotion Team held a two-day global symposium Thursday and Friday on the theme of "Global Advancement in Responding to Emerging Infectious Diseases Based on Infection, Immunity and One Health."

The symposium brought together domestic and international experts in infectious diseases and vaccines, including representatives from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in the United States, France's INRAE, the University of Hong Kong, Malaysia's TIDREC and the Pasteur Institute of Vietnam, as well as the Institute for Basic Science's Center for Virus Research, UNIST, Ewha Womans University, Pohang University of Science and Technology and SK Bioscience.

Im Jae-hwan, head of the Glocal University Promotion Team, opened the event by stressing the importance of an approach that goes beyond virology and immunology to consider people, animals and the environment together, as well as the need for cross-border cooperation.

Yoon Seon-woo, director of the Vaccine Convergence Innovation Center, said an integrated approach linking basic research on viruses and immunity to vaccine development and One Health is essential for future infectious disease preparedness. "We will use this symposium as an opportunity to expand joint research and personnel exchanges with overseas research institutions, and continue to strengthen the global infectious disease and vaccine research network in connection with the Andong vaccine cluster," Yoon said.