Advancing Humanitarian Efforts

The international panel titled "Advancing Humanitarian Efforts," organized in collaboration with the Bahçeşehir University Migration and Urban Studies Application and Research Center (BAUMUS), the CHH-Lancet Commission and the Bahçeşehir University Faculty of Medicine, was held in two sessions on 22-23 January 2024 at Bahçeşehir University South Campus.

The first day of the panel was held under the title "International Humanitarian Diplomacy." The opening speech was delivered by CHH-Lancet Commission Chair Prof. Paul Spiegel. This was followed by sessions moderated by Prof. Dr. Özge Karadağ, faculty member at the Bahçeşehir University Faculty of Medicine, and Prof. Karl Blanchet of the University of Geneva. At the panel, Ambassador Dr. Mehmet Güllüoğlu, Dr. Hugo Slim of the University of Oxford and Prof. Sabina Rashid of BRAC University discussed how humanitarian aid activities are carried out through diplomatic channels by states, international organizations and civil society organizations, the challenges encountered in this process, and effective intervention strategies.

The second day continued with the theme "Strengthening Training and Research Capacity for Humanitarian Health." The opening speeches were delivered by BAUMUS Founding Director Prof. Dr. Ulaş Sunata, Bahçeşehir University Faculty of Medicine faculty member Dr. Melike Yavuz and Prof. Paul Spiegel. In the later sessions of the day, the floor was given to international medical students actively involved in humanitarian aid, who shared their field experiences and academic contributions.

This two-day panel was highly productive for BAUMUS. Focusing on the intersection of migration, health and humanitarian aid, the panel offered content that directly aligned with the center's interdisciplinary research vision. Through this panel, BAUMUS had the opportunity to contribute to international diplomatic and academic collaborations developed in response to humanitarian crises, to strengthen health-based migration research and to support experience-sharing with young researchers.