Opening of a global bio training center in Songdo, Incheon... Government-WHO cooperation (comprehensive)

A vaccine and biopharmaceutical production training center has been established at Yonsei University’s international campus.

Minister Jeong Eun-kyung, visiting WHO Director-General and others attended the opening ceremony.

(Incheon·Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Hong Hyun-ki and Kim Young-shin = The ‘Global Bio Campus Practical Training Center’ opened at the Yonsei University International Campus in Songdo, Incheon.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on the 20th that it held an opening ceremony for the Global Bio Campus practical training center in Songdo with the Global Bio Human Resources Development Hub Support Foundation.

The opening ceremony was attended by Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Secretary-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Minister of Health and Welfare Jeong Eun-kyung, Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority Commissioner Kim Jong-cheol, and Noh Yeon-hong, Chairman of the Global Bio Human Resources Development Hub Support Foundation, who visited Korea.

Previously, WHO designated Korea as a 'Global Bio Human Resources Training Hub (GTH-B)' in February 2022. Accordingly, our government has been conducting vaccine and biopharmaceutical production training to alleviate the gap in vaccine accessibility between countries and strengthen the self-production capabilities of low- and middle-income countries.

So far, practical training on vaccines and biopharmaceuticals has been conducted at five network campuses that already have practical training centers.

This time, a dedicated educational space for self-practice with a total floor area of ​​2,492㎡ (approximately 754 pyeong) was prepared at the Industry-Academic Cooperation Center at the Yonsei University International Campus in Songdo.

The practical training center is equipped with a specialized laboratory for microbial culture, purification, analysis, and quality control education, and is operated by the Global Bio Human Resources Development Hub Support Foundation under the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

This facility plans to gradually expand production process and quality control equipment by 2028 to provide a hands-on training base that covers the entire process from vaccine and biopharmaceutical manufacturing to quality control.

WHO Director-General Tedros thanked the Korean government for its contribution to strengthening the vaccine and biopharmaceutical production capacity of low- and middle-income countries, and announced that WHO would further strengthen cooperation with the Korean government to strengthen global health security.

At the event, a plaque-placing ceremony was also held to name the hands-on training room for cultivating cells and microorganisms on a medium scale as the 'Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Hall', symbolizing cooperation between WHO and Korea.

Minister Jeong Eun-kyung said, “With the opening of the practical training center, we will further strengthen our role as a hub country for nurturing global bio human resources.”

Kim Jong-cheol, head of the Incheon Economic Authority, said, "We will actively support international cooperation projects based on Songdo's excellent bio infrastructure," and added, "We will do our best to contribute to the promotion of global health security."