Virchow-ESMT Lecture “Health and Sustainability for Thriving Futures”

ESMT Berlin and the Virchow Foundation are delighted to host the distinguished Virchow Lectures in honour of Lucy Gilson and Johan Rockström, the Virchow Prize 2024 Laureates. They will explore the critical and timely topic of holistic and systems-based approaches to safeguarding “Health for All” and the interconnectedness of health with the different levels of health systems, the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the planetary boundaries of environmental sustainability, highlighting the importance of integrated strategies to address complex global challenges towards our common goal of attaining SDG3 “Good Health and Well-being.”

11.30 a.m.

Introduction and Welcome

, Co-Founder & CEO, Virchow Foundation

, President and Deutsche Bank Professor in Sustainable Finance, ESMT Berlin; Council Member, Virchow Foundation

, Member of the Executive Board, BDI e.V.

11.40 a.m.

Lectures of Virchow Prize 2024 Laureates

, Professor, Health Policy and Systems, University of Cape Town and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
, Director, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)

12.00 p.m.

Panel discussion

, Professor, Health Policy and Systems, University of Cape Town and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

, Director, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)

, President and Deutsche Bank Professor in Sustainable Finance, ESMT Berlin; Council Member, Virchow Foundation

Additional speakers to be announced.

Panel objectives

1. Explore the interconnectedness of health and environment, highlighting current research and findings on how environmental degradation impacts public health.
2. Identify holistic and systems-based approaches to tackle health and environmental challenges, including sharing best practices from various sectors and regions.
3. Examine the role of policy and governance in fostering sustainable health and environmental practice while discussing the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration among scientists, policymakers, and business leaders.
4. Consider innovative solutions and future directions for research, policy, and practice.
5. Explore the role of technology and innovation in supporting sustainable health and environmental systems.

About ESMT Berlin (European School of Management and Technology): Founded in 2002 by 25 leading global companies, ESMT Berlin offers master’s, MBA, and PhD programs, as well as executive education across its campus in Berlin, various locations around the world, online, and in an online blended format. Additionally, the international business school provides an interdisciplinary platform for discourse between politics, business, and academia. ESMT is a non-profit private institution of higher education, accredited by AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS, and FIBAA, and is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion across all its activities and communities.

About the Virchow Prize: Established by the non-profit Virchow Foundation, the Virchow Prize is an international award annually celebrated in Berlin and endowed with €500,000. Rudolf Virchow, inspiration and namesake of the prize, is a symbol and role model for the required holistic approaches to improve health for all and thereby providing an example of global responsibility for generations to come. In this spirit, the Prize, deeply rooted in highest-quality research and humanistic values, intends to further strengthen our efforts to a better future. Individuals and their work embody the spirit of the United Nations 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development Goals, specifically addressing SDG3 “Good Health and Well-being”.

About the Young Physician Leaders (YPL) program: Since 2015, ESMT Berlin has hosted and provided faculty for the YPL. Under the leadership of the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP), global academies of health and members of the World Health Summit Academic Alliance nominate top clinicians for the program. The selected 25 young doctors attend a workshop at ESMT and then the World Health Summit. The 2024 cohort of YPLs will attend the Virchow Lecture in person; alumni of the program will be joining online.

Host or Publisher ESMT Berlin