Open Consultation: Help Shape the 9th Global Symposium Theme & Sub-themes |
Background
Health Systems Global (HSG) is a vibrant global network of researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and advocates working to improve health systems worldwide. Our mission is to advance the understanding of health systems and support their transformation to achieve equitable and effective health care for all.
Every two years, HSG organizes the Global Symposium on Health Systems Research, a flagship event that brings together a diverse community of professionals from across the globe to share knowledge, present new research, and discuss the most pressing challenges and opportunities in health systems.
The 9th Global Symposium on Health Systems Research is a joint collaboration between UAE and Lebanon, set to be hosted in Dubai in the last quarter of 2026, and preparations are underway to bring fruitful and novel discussions to the fore. We are launching an open consultation to gather your input on potential themes and subthemes for this event.
We invite you to propose themes that are innovative, forward-thinking, and relevant to the current and future challenges faced by health systems worldwide. While we are open to a wide range of ideas, we encourage contributions that align with the following broad guiding principles:
Every two years, HSG organizes the Global Symposium on Health Systems Research, a flagship event that brings together a diverse community of professionals from across the globe to share knowledge, present new research, and discuss the most pressing challenges and opportunities in health systems.
The 9th Global Symposium on Health Systems Research is a joint collaboration between UAE and Lebanon, set to be hosted in Dubai in the last quarter of 2026, and preparations are underway to bring fruitful and novel discussions to the fore. We are launching an open consultation to gather your input on potential themes and subthemes for this event.
We invite you to propose themes that are innovative, forward-thinking, and relevant to the current and future challenges faced by health systems worldwide. While we are open to a wide range of ideas, we encourage contributions that align with the following broad guiding principles:
- Relevance and timeliness to contemporary health systems–What are the critical issues facing health systems globally and locally? What emerging trends, priorities, challenges, and opportunities in health policy and systems research should the symposium address? How can the symposium respond to and shape these evolving global challenges and opportunities?
- Innovation and forward thinking – What bold and disruptive ideas can challenge the status quo and push the boundaries of health systems globally and locally? What must we be thinking of as we approach the post-SDG era?
- Broad and inclusive stakeholder engagement – How can the symposium engage diverse sectors beyond health, foster dialogue with non-traditional players (e.g., civil society, social movements, technology innovators, private sector, traditional medicine), and amplify voices from different disciplines and regions?
- Shaping the field of HPSR – What new ideas, conceptual approaches and methodological innovations can drive the next era of health systems research and policy? How can the symposium contribute to advancing the field and addressing long-term challenges?
Your input will help shape a symposium that is meaningful, impactful, and responsive to the evolving landscape of health systems. We welcome bold, cross-cutting, and creative ideas.
We would be grateful to hear back from you by the 25th of April.
Following this open consultation, the Program Working Group of Health Systems Global will carefully curate and sort contributions and hold a focused technical consultation to narrow down and validate themes and subthemes. We will then announce the theme by the end of the second quarter of 2025, well in time for us all to prepare for the abstract submission process, and to think about our modes and possibilities of engagement in HSR 2026.
We would be grateful to hear back from you by the 25th of April.
Following this open consultation, the Program Working Group of Health Systems Global will carefully curate and sort contributions and hold a focused technical consultation to narrow down and validate themes and subthemes. We will then announce the theme by the end of the second quarter of 2025, well in time for us all to prepare for the abstract submission process, and to think about our modes and possibilities of engagement in HSR 2026.