The Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH) signed a Project Collaboration Agreement (PCA) with the WHO Academy at the World Health Organization (WHO) Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, on February 2, 2026 (local time), to enhance education and capacity building for the global health workforce.

This agreement will focus on strengthening internationally aligned education and training systems for healthcare professionals by linking KOFIH’s flagship global human resource development initiative, Dr. LEE Jong-wook Fellowship Program, with the WHO Academy’s global learning platform. The WHO Academy, established by WHO as a lifelong learning platform, provides evidence-based and innovative learning opportunities to health professionals worldwide. It serves as a key global hub for health education, including the opening of its offline campus in Lyon, France, in December 2024. The signing ceremony was attended by Mr. Baek Kwan-baek, Secretary General of KOFIH, and Dr. Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General for Health Systems, Access and Data who oversees the WHO Academy, reaffirming both organizations’ commitment to collaboration.

Through this agreement, KOFIH plans to elevate the quality of its fellowship program by integrating its 18 years of experience in hosting international trainees under the Dr. Lee Jong-wook Fellowship with global standard education systems.

Under the agreement, the two organizations will carry out specific collaborative activities, including ▲ linking WHO Academy courses with training programs for Dr. LEE Jong-wook Fellowship fellows and alumni, ▲ joint development of education and training programs for healthcare professionals, ▲implementation of simulation-based training to strengthen disaster response capacity, and ▲collaboration on evaluating training effectiveness and conducting country-tailored health program research. These efforts are expected to create an environment where health professionals from partner countries can continue to receive seamless refresher training after returning home, and to establish alumni-led local training systems. Ultimately, this collaboration will contribute to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) across the globe.

KOFIH Secretary General stated, “Through this PCA, Dr. Lee Jong-wook Fellowship Program, which carries forward the legacy of the late Dr. Lee, has taken a significant step toward becoming a globally standardized capacity-building program.” He added, “We will continue to actively contribute to strengthening global health emergency preparedness and sustainable health workforce development through our partnership with the WHO.”

Dr. Yukiko Nakatani from the WHO Academy also emphasized that this collaboration would generate meaningful synergy by combining the expertise of both organizations to enhance the professional capacity of health workers in WHO Member States. Based on this agreement, KOFIH and the WHO Academy will continue follow-up cooperation to foster a digital global health education environment and strengthen global health cooperation networks.