The University of Utah Asia Campus (UAC), represented by Gregory Cash Hill, has signed an MOU for industry-academia collaboration with the World Health City Forum, led by Chief Executive Director Yun-Chul Hong.

Through this agreement, the two organizations will cooperate closely to ensure the successful hosting of the 2nd World Health City Forum, scheduled for November in Songdo, Incheon. The forum will focus on “Urbanization and Planetary Health, How to Make Smart Health Cities.” The collaboration will involve the UAC’s Urban Ecology program, with faculty and students participating as speakers and panelists, and guest lectures exchanged between the institutions. Furthermore, UAC students will have opportunities for internships and employment at the World Health City Forum’s Seoul office. The partnership also includes joint efforts in various public campaigns and community engagement projects in the Incheon area.

The signing ceremony, held on June 10, 2024, at the University of Utah Asia Campus, was attended by Yun-Chul Hong, Chief Executive Director; Dong Il Hwang, Chief Officer; Min Gu Jun, Standard Committee Director of the World Health City Forum; Gregory Hill, Chief Administrative Officer of UAC; Reazul Ahsan, Professor of Urban Ecology at UAC; and James Park, Director of External Relations at UAC.

Yun-Chul Hong remarked, “The MOU with the University of Utah Asia Campus signifies not only our cooperation in hosting the forum but also a strategic partnership in designing and building healthy future societies and cities.”

Gregory Hill added, “Through this MOU, we anticipate that UAC and the World Health City Forum will synergize efforts from academia and industry to explore and devise sustainable and resilient smart cities and global health solutions.”

The World Health City Forum, established in 2023, aims to address and respond to complex global crises by leading the creation of safer, more sustainable, and healthier future cities. The inaugural forum last year saw participation from over 140 speakers from 20 countries worldwide, culminating in the official adoption of the “Incheon Declaration” for smart healthy cities.