Open Consultation: Help Shape the 9th Global Symposium Theme & Sub-themes

Following the auspicious occasion of Eid, we are delighted to launch our open consultation to determine the theme of The 9th Global Symposium on Health Systems Research, a joint collaboration between UAE and Lebanon, set to be hosted in Dubai in the last quarter of 2026. The consultation seeks to ensure that the symposium reflects the most pressing priorities, challenges and opportunities in health systems and HPSR.

We invite you to propose topics that are innovative, forward-looking and relevant to the current and future challenges faced by health systems worldwide. While we are open to a wide range of idea, we encourage contributions that align with the following broad guiding principle:

• 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 have 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 idea, 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.

Complete this survey and share your idea by April 25.

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.