Pre-conference workshop

Border regions are often at the frontlines of health system challenges and innovation. The Thai–Myanmar border represents one of the most complex and dynamic health landscapes in the Asia-Pacific, shaped by decades of cross-border mobility, protracted displacement, statelessness, infectious disease risks, and under-resourced services. Yet, this region has also been crucible of innovation in community-based health systems, migrant-inclusive services, and multisectoral collaboration. This 3-hour pre-conference workshop brings together leading public health professionals, researchers, and practitioners who have worked extensively in the Thai–Myanmar border region. The aim is to distill actionable lessons and practices from this unique setting that can inform resilient, self-reliant, and inclusive systems for health across the Asia-Pacific region, especially in the context of border health, fragile settings, and migrant integration.

Chairs:

• Ms. Watinee Kunpeuk (ASEAN Institute for Health Development, Mahidol University)
• Dr. Kyoko Sudo (National College of Nursing, Japan Institute for Health Security)

Speakers and Presentations

• Dr. Phitsanurak Kanthawee (Head of Border Health Research Unit, Institute of Research and Development, Mae Fah Luang University):Border-Based Public Health Research and Local Innovation: Bridging National and Community Health (tentative title)
• Dr. Hein Thu (Researcher, DTH)Understanding Access and Barriers for Migrants in the Thai Border Health System: Evidence from Recent Studies (tentative title)

You are cordially invited to participate in the Early Career Network Pre-Workshop. This pre-workshop is complimentary for YITA award recipients, postgraduate and graduate students, as well as early-career staff members. Participation is limited to 50 seats, which will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. We encourage you to reserve your seat at the earliest convenience, and we look forward to welcoming you at the event.

Workshop Summary

The next generation of public health leaders is greatly influenced by mentoring, which provides direction, skill development, and chances for teamwork. The structured mentor-mentee program presented at this APACPH Early Career Network (ECN) pre-conference workshop on mentoring is intended to promote leadership, information sharing, and professional growth in the public health workforce. Participants will have the chance to learn from mentees themselves, which covers topics including mentee engagement, mentor recruiting, and effective relationship tactics. Selected mentees will present their applied projects that tackle urgent public health issues, including data-driven policy solutions, health equality programs, and community health promotion. These case studies will demonstrate the observable results of mentoring while igniting discussion on innovations, difficulties, and best practices. In addition to being inspired by the practical effects of mentee-led projects, workshop attendees will go with practical tools for establishing or enhancing mentorship programs in their own institution.

1st Topic “APACPH Mentoring Programme”

• Professor Indika Karunathilake, Vice Chancellor, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka, APACPH Secretary-General and Early Career Network Consultant

2nd Topic “Bridging cultures, shaping care: empowering professionals to deliver inclusive, respectful, and globally informed healthcare.”

• Mentee: Dr. Lalita Kaewwilai, Department of Public Health Nursing, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol Univetsity Thailand
• Mentor: Prof. Dr. Ellie Nezami, University of Miami, USA. APACPH Regional Director for American Region

3rd Topic: A Dual Benefit: Enhancing Journal Impact and Supporting Early-Career Researchers

• Mentee: Dr. Puchong Inchai, Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University
• Mentor: Prof. Dr. Low Wah Yun, Honorary Professor at Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Editor-in-Chief of the Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health (APJPH)

4th Topic: Mentorship as a Catalyst: Redefining Diets, Sustaining Futures

• Mentee: Dr Ng Ai Kah, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya
• Mentor: Prof Indika Karunathilake, Vice Chancellor, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka APACPH Secretary-General and Early Career Network Consultant

5th Topic “Topic: Building an Academic Voice Through Mentorship”

• Mentee: Dr Ashwini de Abrew, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo
• Mentor: Professor Low Wah Yun, Honorary Professor at Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Editor-in-Chief of the Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health (APJPH)

Workshop Information

Workshop Summary

This workshop is organized by the Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health (APJPH) in conjunction with the 56th Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health (APACPH) Conference. The aim is for participants to acquire essentials and skills of scientific writing, and publishing quality scientific manuscripts. We will provide a guide to structuring each section of an academic paper that contributes to the overall narrative and scientific rigor, and presenting it in a way that editors will accept your paper for publication.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly being used in scientific writing , offering several benefits which are attractive to researchers and students alike. However, using AI in scientific writing is not without its challenges in respect to biases and notable ethical issues. This Workshop will include using AI in writing an academic paper, its biases and limitations , as well as ethical issues associated with its use. The target audience for this half day workshop are researchers, academic staff, reviewers, journal staff and students, who conduct research and need to develop successful scientific writing skills.

A Certificate of Attendance will be given to all participants.

Program

Innovative Strategies for Learning and Teaching Public Health: From Evidence to Practice

Duration 3 hours

Facilitators

Philip R. A. Baker^1,2 and Dr. Julie-Anne Carroll²

Australian Centre for Health Law Research and School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.

Workshop Overview

This interactive workshop will explore innovative, evidence-based strategies for transforming public health education in the Asia-Pacific region. Drawing on recent research and practical experience, participants will engage with pedagogical models such as peer-assisted learning (PAL), experiential learning, and technology-enhanced approaches including AI-guided learning and collaborative digital platforms. The session will emphasise hands-on activities, collaborative problem-solving, and real-world applications to equip educators and practitioners with tools to enhance learning outcomes and address emerging public health challenges.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• Identify key pedagogical innovations relevant to public health education in the Asia-Pacific.
• Apply active and experiential learning strategies.
• Integrate digital tools (e.g., Padlet, polling platforms) into blended learning environments.
• Recognise barriers to innovation and explore strategies to foster institutional support and academic integrity.

Target Audience

• Public health educators and trainers
• Curriculum designers
• Academic leaders and administrators
• Graduate and postgraduate public health program coordinators

Session Overview

The APACPH 2025 Pre-Conference Workshop of the Asian Institute for Bioethics and Health Law (AIBHL) explores the efforts of the World Health Organization (WHO) in enhancing ethical standards and governance in health research across the Western Pacific Region. With a focus on both regional strategy and country-specific challenges, the session highlights WHO’s work in promoting ethical, responsible, and locally relevant research practices. Special attention will be given to strengthening research ethics governance in Pacific Island Countries (PICs), where infrastructure and capacity constraints remain significant challenges.

Session Objectives

Ethics in international research for health : Work of WHO in the Western Pacific This theme presents WHO’s multi-faceted strategy to scale up science, research, and innovation capacity by: Strengthening the research ecosystem and evidence-based policymaking, Embedding ethics, responsibility, and accountability in health research, Building innovation ecosystems to support transformative solutions. Key initiatives include the Selangor Consensus, which promotes equitable clinical trials by: Centering equity in trial design and implementation, Fostering local capacity and international partnerships, Integrating trials into public health systems, Enhancing data governance through registries. Additionally, WHO emphasizes ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of emerging fields like human genomics and AI, advocating for locally aligned, trust-based, and multisectoral approaches to innovation. Strengthening Research Ethics Governance in Pacific Island Countries (PICs) (Tentative) This theme focuses on the unique ethical challenges and governance needs of PICs, illustrated by the Oceanian Genome Variation Project (OGVP). Though the OGVP aimed to advance population health by collecting over 10,000 blood samples, concerns emerged regarding: Informed consent processes, Lack of local REC and Ministry of Health engagement, Oversight of secondary uses. The case highlights the need for: Stronger local ethics governance and benefit-sharing frameworks, Enhanced dialogue on data sovereignty and community engagement, Forward-looking mechanisms to manage the ethical implications of large-scale genomic, biobanking, and digital health research in the region.

Program Agenda

Session Chair/Moderator

1. AHN, Myoung Ock
2. So Yoon Kim

Session Objectives

Systems thinking is one of the foundational competencies in public health. This workshop introduces its concept, types of models and systems archetypes. Participants will learn how to build models in this introductory hands-on workshop. Please bring your PC with Vensim Personal Learning Edition (PLE) (Ventana Systems) installed.

Program Agenda