Global Health Learning Centre 2025 Fellows celebrate graduation at WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific

The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Western Pacific hosted the graduation ceremony of the Global Health Learning Centre (GHLC) 2025 cohort on 28 August at its Conference Hall in Manila. The event marked the culmination of 11 weeks of intensive leadership and technical training for 24 mid-level health professionals from 13 Member States across the Region.

The ceremony brought together WHO leadership, faculty, mentors, fellows, and representatives from the embassies of Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Papua New Guinea, and Samoa.

Celebrating leadership and collaboration

The event opened with a message of congratulations from Dr Saia Ma'u Piukala, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, who commended fellows for embodying the values of courageous and empathetic leadership. "What you have gained here is not just knowledge, but a community. You return to your countries not only as health professionals, but as ambassadors of collaborative, values-driven leadership", he said.

Dr Susan Mercado, Director of Programme Management, delivered the Opening Remarks, drawing on the metaphor of Finding Nemo to describe the fellows' journey of exploration and discovery. She emphasized that graduation was "not an end point, but a tide that carries you back to your countries, institutions, and communities".

Dr Kidong Park, Director of Data, Strategy and Innovation, presented the outcomes of GHLC 2025, highlighting the programme's innovations and impact. Over 170 sessions were delivered during Modules A and B, focusing on global health governance, regional priorities, leadership, and management skills. For the first time in GHLC's history, fellows undertook multi-country, group-based projects with the guidance of 11 WPRO mentors and English tutors from Ateneo University. Fellows demonstrated a 19% overall improvement in competencies, with the most significant gains in evidence-based practice and decision-making.

Fellows' reflections and achievements

One of the ceremony's highlights was the awarding of certificates of participation to each fellow, presented by Dr Mercado and Dr Park. Organized by project groups, each presentation was followed by a short reflection from a fellow representative, who shared their personal insights and learning journey.

Representatives from the embassies of Papua New Guinea, China, Samoa, and Cambodia delivered congratulatory remarks to the graduating fellows, commending their achievements and the role of GHLC in shaping future leaders.

Mentors, whose technical guidance and support were central to the fellows' project development, were recognized with Certificates of Appreciation. Dr Kazim Sanikullah delivered a mentor's reflection, underscoring the spirit of collaboration and the importance of nurturing future leaders.

Adding a celebratory touch, the WPRO Music Company performed a choir piece "One million dreams". After that, one of the fellow representatives, Dr Samboeun Thorn, presented the "Best Faculty" Award, a token of appreciation for outstanding faculty contributions.

Looking ahead

The ceremony concluded with a group photo in the conference hall, followed by a networking session. While Module B ended with the graduation, fellows will continue into Module C-a two-week virtual follow-up for coaching and the launch of their multi-country projects, supported by seed funding and continued mentorship.

The ceremony was smoothly facilitated by Ms Sunju Lee, Acting Coordinator of CAL, and moderated by Dr Boyang Li and Ms Yeunji Ma, who ensured the event's seamless flow.

GHLC 2025 not only marked a decade of the programme's legacy but also introduced innovations that will shape its future-such as the revitalization of the alumni network and the integration of multi-country collaborative projects. As Dr Piukala reminded the fellows, "The challenges ahead are many-but so are the possibilities. Having seen your commitment these past nine weeks, I leave today with immense hope".