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Celebrating the 1st Anniversary of ACHS

Over the past year, the Asia Centre for Health Security has grown into a dynamic platform for regional collaboration, research, and action in health security. We’ve made meaningful progress in strengthening preparedness for catastrophic biological threats, fostering regional dialogue, building capacity, supporting future leaders, and bridging research with policy. Looking ahead, ACHS remains committed to advancing health security for Asia.

To commemorate this milestone, we’ve curated a special anniversary page highlighting key achievements and insights from our first year. These efforts reflect our ongoing commitment to regional health security—and the generation of knowledge and partnerships that could lead to improving policies and practices across Asia.

Director's Message

As ACHS marks its first anniversary, Professor Hsu Li Yang, ACHS Director shares insights on the journey so far, key milestones, and our continued commitment to strengthening health security in Asia.

As we celebrate our first anniversary, I would like to thank our ACHS team, supporters and stakeholders for being part of this journey. Reflecting on our first year, what began as an academic think tank has quickly grown into a community for collaboration, research, and regional action on health security.

In our first year, we’ve launched a regional fellowship program to support emerging leaders in health security, brought together diverse stakeholders through high-level meetings, and initiated research that aims to shape future policy and strengthen preparedness across Asia.

These milestones reflect our commitment to a safer, more resilient region — one that is better prepared for pandemics and emerging catastrophic biological threats.

As we look ahead, we remain focused on building strong partnerships, supporting knowledge exchange, and driving forward solutions that can make a real impact on the health and well-being of communities across Asia. We’re proud of how far we’ve come, what we’ve accomplished together, and are excited about what lies ahead despite the increasing global challenges.

As we celebrate our first anniversary, I would like to thank our ACHS team, supporters and stakeholders for being part of this journey. Reflecting on our first year, what began as an academic think tank has quickly grown into a community for collaboration, research, and regional action on health security.

In our first year, we’ve launched a regional fellowship program to support emerging leaders in health security, brought together diverse stakeholders through high-level meetings, and initiated research that aims to shape future policy and strengthen preparedness across Asia.

These milestones reflect our commitment to a safer, more resilient region — one that is better prepared for pandemics and emerging catastrophic biological threats.

As we look ahead, we remain focused on building strong partnerships, supporting knowledge exchange, and driving forward solutions that can make a real impact on the health and well-being of communities across Asia. We’re proud of how far we’ve come, what we’ve accomplished together, and are excited about what lies ahead despite the increasing global challenges.

A Year in Review:
ACHS First Year Milestones

The launch of the Asia Centre for Health Security (ACHS) marks a significant step forward in advancing regional health security in Asia. ACHS is committed to contributing to global conversations as thought leaders, build expertise, and strengthen Asia’s readiness to catastrophic biological threats.

The roundtable brought together representatives from ASEAN to discuss national perspectives on biosecurity threats in Southeast Asia, and facilitated knowledge exchange on regional governance frameworks, institutions, and mechanisms.

A law side event at the Global Health Security Conference 2024 in Sydney, co-sponsored by ACHS, explored global health law reforms following the 77th World Health Assembly, with a focus on pathogen access, benefit sharing, intellectual property, technology transfer, and human rights.

The roundtable organised by RSIS facilitated the discussion of the national perspectives on current and emerging biosecurity threats and risks in Southeast Asia, and provided a platform for knowledge exchange on existing biosecurity governance frameworks, institutions and mechanisms in the region.

The ACHS website was launched to serve as a platform to house ACHS research reports and publications, education and training initiatives and resources and provides relevant information for collaboration and partnership opportunities.  

The Laboratory Biosafety and Biosecurity Workshop gathered over 25 senior experts from across Asia to address key issues in laboratory safety and biosecurity. The workshop focused on international guidelines, responsible life sciences use, and best practices.

The ACHS website was launched to serve as a platform to house ACHS research reports and publications, education and training initiatives and resources and provides relevant information for collaboration and partnership opportunities.  

The launch of the inaugural ACHS Fellowship Program provides emerging biosecurity leaders the opportunity to deepen their knowledge, engage with experts, and work on a biosecurity project under the mentorship of ACHS faculty.

The Asia-Europe Foundation, Asia Centre for Health Security and NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health hosted over 50 officials from 27 countries with the aim of strengthening countries’ capacity for risk communication for PHEs, and provide a platform for bi-regional exchange

Asia’s pandemic preparedness remains a concern, with COVID-19 revealing critical gaps in healthcare and crisis response. To address this, expert panels in India will explore biosecurity, data-driven surveillance, and leadership strategies. Insights will guide future planning, with a disease X simulation to follow in one Asian country.

ACHS welcomed the inaugural cohort of ACHS Fellows 2025 — emerging leaders committed to shaping Asia’s biosecurity landscape.

The ACHS Webinar Series kicked off in January 2025. This quarterly series hosts a diverse group of experts to discuss and share innovative developments in health security across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

The ACHS International Advisory Panel met with the ACHS staff and faculty to review the centre’s progress and provide recommendations, and guidance on the strategic direction to achieve its vision.

The NTS Centre at RSIS, in collaboration with ACHS, hosted the inaugural CSCAP Study Group Meeting on Biosecurity and Health Security. Co-chaired by CSCAP Singapore, New Zealand, and Japan, the meeting fostered discussions on regional challenges. Key findings from the RSIS baseline study on Southeast Asia’s biosecurity landscape were presented to inform future priorities.

ACHS 1st Year Anniversary Dinner

The 1st year anniversary was marked by a special dinner attended by ACHS faculty and staff. The evening was a time of reflection on the collective efforts and milestones that we achieved in the first year. The team also renewed their commitment and dedication to making a meaningful impact through leading conversations, building expertise, and strengthening regional preparedness against health security threats in the region.

Looking Ahead

As we step into our second year, we remain deeply committed to strengthening partnerships, exploring innovative solutions, and leading efforts to enhance health security across Asia. We look forward to working alongside our partners in Asia and beyond to advance health security by ensuring communities are better prepared for health security threats.

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