06/10/2025
On September 17–18, 2025, the Center for International Health (CIHLMU) successfully held its annual online Cooperation Meeting. The gathering brought together partners and colleagues from around the globe to strengthen collaboration, exchange ideas, and define strategic directions for the year ahead within the CIHLMU and OH-TARGET framework.
The meeting opened with a welcome note by Dr. Günter Fröschl, CIHLMU Board Member from the Tropical Institute, who provided an overview of the CIHLMU and OH-TARGET. He reflected on the history of CIHLMU and highlighted key achievements of the past two years, including the start of the second funding phase of OH-TARGET, awarded in 2024. This was followed by a welcome note from Sherif Azab-Els, representing the DAAD. He introduced the Exceed Program, the funding source of OH-TARGET, and emphasized OH-TARGET highlights from the DAAD perspective.
Participants then joined parallel sessions on key institutional topics. One group focused on administrative procedures, discussing rules and regulations related to recruitment processes, purchases, and payments. The second group explored CIHLMU’s communication strategy, with a special focus on the upcoming website relaunch, the CIHLMU corporate design and more.
The regional strategy meetings formed the core of the Cooperation Meeting. On Day 1, the Latin America group, led by Bernarda Espinoza and Verónica Encina, drafted a detailed strategic plan with events scheduled throughout 2026. On Day 2, the focus shifted to the Asia group, chaired by Fabian Jacobs and Dr. Fröschl, and the Africa group meeting, facilitated by Günter Fröschl, Fabian Jacobs, Andrea Jobst, and Ulrich von Both. Both groups conducted an in-depth SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats) analysis of their current situation and defined key action points to be pursued until the next Cooperation Meeting.
The meeting concluded with a presentation of strategies from each group and closing remarks by Andrea Jobst, CIHLMU Board member from the area Global Mental Health, which tied together the outcomes of the regional discussions and laid the foundation for the next phase of CIH cooperation.
The CIHLMU Cooperation Meeting 2025 once again proved to be a vital platform for joint planning and knowledge exchange, reaffirming CIHLMU’s mission to empower health professionals and foster international partnerships.
