Southeast Asia One Health University Network: Advancing One Health Education, Research, and Workforce Development

Introduction

The Southeast Asia One Health University Network, commonly known as SEAOHUN, is a regional academic and professional network that strengthens the ability of Southeast Asian countries to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious diseases and other health threats.

SEAOHUN promotes the One Health approach, which recognizes that human health is closely connected to animal health, plant health, and the surrounding environment. It brings together universities, government agencies, health professionals, researchers, students, international organizations, communities, and development partners to address complex regional health challenges.

Its major areas of work include zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, pandemic preparedness, emerging infectious diseases, biosafety, biosecurity, food safety, environmental health, wildlife health, climate-related health risks, and public-health emergency response.

History and Background

Establishment of SEAOHUN

SEAOHUN was established in 2011 to strengthen One Health education and workforce capacity across Southeast Asia. Its development reflected the region’s growing need for coordinated responses to diseases transmitted between animals and humans.

Southeast Asia is particularly vulnerable to emerging infectious diseases because of rapid urbanization, population movement, livestock production, wildlife trade, environmental degradation, land-use change, and frequent interaction among humans, domestic animals, and wildlife.

SEAOHUN was created to reduce professional and institutional barriers between medicine, veterinary science, public health, environmental science, agriculture, and related disciplines. Its model uses universities as important centers for developing a multidisciplinary One Health workforce.

Expansion of the Regional Network

SEAOHUN initially worked through national university networks and later expanded its regional membership. It currently describes itself as a network of more than 117 universities across eight Southeast Asian countries.

Its eight national One Health university networks are located in:

Cambodia.
Indonesia.
Lao People’s Democratic Republic.
Malaysia.
Myanmar.
The Philippines.
Thailand.
Vietnam.

These networks connect schools and faculties working in medicine, nursing, veterinary science, public health, agriculture, environmental science, wildlife management, laboratory science, social science, and other relevant fields.

SEAOHUN has also involved students and institutions from associate countries, including Bangladesh and India, in selected regional activities.

Development through Regional Partnerships

SEAOHUN’s growth has been supported by international development partners and global health initiatives. The United States Agency for International Development has played a major role through programs such as One Health Workforce and One Health Workforce–Next Generation.

Since October 2019, SEAOHUN has worked with the USAID One Health Workforce–Next Generation Global Consortium, led by the University of California, Davis. The collaboration has supported workforce development, organizational sustainability, training, student engagement, research, and capacity assessment.

In February 2023, SEAOHUN became an affiliate member of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization, strengthening its connections to the region’s education and scientific cooperation systems.

Mission and Purpose

Organizational Mission

SEAOHUN’s mission is to empower a resilient One Health workforce by connecting academic excellence with government and community action. It seeks to institutionalize social and intellectual leadership capable of addressing health threats across human, animal, plant, and environmental systems.

Its vision is to build a regional One Health university network dedicated to social and intellectual excellence for the health and well-being of people, animals, and the environment.

Strategic Objectives

SEAOHUN works to:

Develop a skilled and multidisciplinary One Health workforce.
Integrate One Health competencies into university curricula.
Strengthen cooperation among universities, governments, communities, and professional sectors.
Support research into zoonotic diseases and other emerging health threats.
Improve regional capacity for disease surveillance, detection, prevention, and response.
Promote responsible antimicrobial use and coordinated action against antimicrobial resistance.
Strengthen biosafety and biosecurity knowledge and practices.
Provide students and early-career professionals with practical field experience.
Build sustainable national One Health university networks.
Generate evidence that can inform government policies and public-health programs.

Why the One Health Approach Matters

Diseases and health risks frequently move across the boundaries separating people, animals, agriculture, and the environment. Avian influenza, rabies, leptospirosis, antimicrobial resistance, foodborne illness, and wildlife-associated disease outbreaks cannot be addressed effectively by one profession alone.

SEAOHUN encourages medical professionals, veterinarians, environmental scientists, public-health experts, agricultural specialists, researchers, policymakers, and communities to work together. This multidisciplinary approach can improve disease surveillance, laboratory capacity, outbreak response, risk communication, prevention, and policymaking.

Governance and Structure

Regional Secretariat

The SEAOHUN Secretariat is based in Chiang Mai, Thailand. It serves as the central coordinating body for the national One Health university networks.

The Secretariat’s responsibilities include:

Coordinating regional programs and activities.
Managing subawards provided to country networks.
Facilitating Executive Board meetings.
Supporting the development of national One Health university networks.
Managing donor-funded programs.
Building relationships with government agencies, universities, international organizations, and nonprofit partners.
Representing national networks at regional and international meetings.
Monitoring, evaluating, and communicating program results.

Executive Board

SEAOHUN is overseen by an Executive Board that provides strategic direction and regional governance. The Board helps connect the regional network with its national members and supports decisions involving institutional priorities, partnerships, programs, and organizational sustainability.

SEAOHUN also draws on technical advisers and experts from public health, veterinary medicine, environmental science, higher education, infectious-disease control, and related One Health disciplines.

Country Networks

The national One Health university networks are responsible for adapting regional priorities to their respective country contexts. They help coordinate member universities and collaborate with national ministries, government departments, laboratories, professional associations, and local partners.

This structure enables SEAOHUN to combine regional collaboration with country-specific action. Each network can address its own health priorities while sharing curricula, research, training materials, and experience with other members.

Regional and International Representation

SEAOHUN represents the interests of its national networks in regional forums involving global health security, field epidemiology, higher education, and One Health policy.

It has engaged with initiatives and organizations connected to:

The Global Health Security Agenda.
The ASEAN+3 Field Epidemiology Training Network.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
The World Health Organization.
The World Organisation for Animal Health.
The Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization.
Government ministries and public-health institutions.
Universities, research organizations, and development agencies.

Funding and Grants

How SEAOHUN Is Funded

SEAOHUN is funded primarily through grants, cooperative agreements, sponsorships, subawards, and institutional partnerships. Its financial supporters have included government development agencies, international organizations, private companies, universities, and global health initiatives.

Major supporters and collaborators have included:

The United States Agency for International Development.
Chevron.
Pfizer.
Zoetis.
The Defense Threat Reduction Agency.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
The University of California, Davis-led One Health Workforce–Next Generation Consortium.
Government agencies, universities, and regional organizations.

Funding is used for education, research, training, scholarships, fellowships, student activities, institutional strengthening, conferences, field projects, and community-based One Health initiatives.

Subawards to Country Networks

The SEAOHUN Secretariat manages subawards to national One Health university networks. These awards enable country networks and member institutions to organize training, improve curricula, conduct research, support students, engage government agencies, and implement country-specific One Health activities.

Subawards also help national networks strengthen their governance, financial management, monitoring, communications, and long-term institutional sustainability.

One Health Research and Training Awards

The SEAOHUN One Health Awards Program provides small grants to faculty members and in-service professionals for high-impact research and training.

Supported activities may include:

Innovative field research.
University curriculum development.
One Health training programs.
Community-based interventions.
Disease-surveillance projects.
Antimicrobial resistance research.
Risk communication and public engagement.
Biosafety and biosecurity initiatives.
Multidisciplinary collaborations among universities and government agencies.

The awards are intended to generate practical evidence, improve professional training, promote innovation, and advance national One Health agendas.

Research Award Priorities

Past One Health Research and Training Awards have included separate tracks for general One Health topics and antimicrobial resistance.

Priority subjects have included:

Prevention of zoonotic pathogen spillover.
Surveillance of emerging infectious diseases.
Laboratory testing and diagnostic capacity.
Biosafety and biosecurity.
Cross-sectoral outbreak response.
Community risk communication.
Integration of One Health into curricula.
Antimicrobial stewardship.
Multidrug-resistant organisms.
Antimicrobial use in human health, veterinary medicine, and agriculture.
Integrated antimicrobial resistance surveillance.
Community participation in responsible antimicrobial use.

Proposal Assessment

SEAOHUN evaluates award proposals according to criteria such as:

Importance of the identified One Health challenge.
Innovation of the proposed solution.
Multidisciplinary and multisectoral collaboration.
Inclusion of gender perspectives.
Project feasibility.
Clearly defined outputs and deliverables.
Cost-effectiveness.
Quality and clarity of the budget.
Potential for scaling or replication.
Value for policy advocacy and government decision-making.
Ability to share effective practices with the wider One Health community.

Funding levels, eligibility requirements, application periods, and thematic priorities may change between award cycles. Applicants should verify current opportunities on the official SEAOHUN website.

Scholarships, Fellowships, and Internships

SEAOHUN provides or coordinates scholarships, fellowships, and regional internships that help students and professionals gain practical One Health experience.

These opportunities may support:

Postgraduate education.
Field placements with partner institutions.
Applied research.
Professional mentoring.
Cross-country learning.
Work with government departments, laboratories, nonprofit organizations, or conservation institutions.
Development of technical and leadership competencies.

The programs are intended to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world health challenges.

Student Grants

SEAOHUN also offers small grants through selected student competitions and community-action initiatives.

In the 2026 One Health Campus-to-Community Challenge, nine student teams from Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, India, and Bangladesh each received grants of up to $2,000 and technical mentoring to implement community projects.

Applicants should not assume that this funding amount applies to future competitions, as award structures may vary.

Major Programs and Initiatives

One Health Workforce–Next Generation

One Health Workforce–Next Generation is a major regional workforce-development initiative supported by USAID. The program strengthens the capacity of universities and professionals to address infectious-disease threats.

Its core objectives include:

Empowering the One Health workforce.
Assessing and tracking workforce competencies.
Strengthening the organizational sustainability of One Health networks.

Activities have included curriculum development, faculty training, student engagement, organizational assessments, applied research, professional development, and regional knowledge exchange.

One Health Workforce Academies

The Southeast Asia One Health Workforce Academies provide structured professional development for pre-service and in-service participants.

The academies help learners develop competencies in areas such as:

Infectious-disease prevention and control.
Epidemiology and surveillance.
One Health leadership.
Outbreak investigation.
Biosafety and biosecurity.
Antimicrobial resistance.
Risk communication.
Multisectoral coordination.
Community engagement.

Curriculum Development and One Health Modules

SEAOHUN works with universities to introduce One Health competencies into academic programs. It supports curriculum assessment, course development, faculty training, and innovative teaching methods.

One important educational approach is problem-based learning. Students from different academic disciplines examine realistic health scenarios and work together to develop integrated solutions.

SEAOHUN also produces and shares One Health teaching modules, manuals, publications, case studies, and other learning resources.

Student Engagement Program

The Student Engagement Program encourages university students to apply One Health principles to real community problems.

Students participate in:

One Health student clubs.
Regional competitions.
Community projects.
Poster, video, and art campaigns.
Student summits.
Training workshops.
Mentoring and networking.
Cross-disciplinary team activities.

These experiences help students develop communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, leadership, and technical knowledge.

One Health Student Clubs

One Health Student Clubs create spaces where students from different faculties can collaborate throughout the academic year. The clubs organize seminars, awareness campaigns, community outreach, competitions, and educational events.

They also help universities build a pipeline of future professionals who understand the importance of cooperation across human, animal, and environmental health sectors.

Regional Fellowship Program

SEAOHUN’s fellowship activities connect early-career professionals with organizations where they can undertake applied work. Placements may involve wildlife conservation, disease surveillance, environmental health, research, laboratory systems, or community engagement.

Fellows receive practical experience and mentoring while host organizations benefit from additional One Health capacity.

Regional Internship Program

The Regional Internship Program provides students and recent graduates with supervised professional experience. Interns may work with regional institutions, government agencies, universities, laboratories, or nonprofit organizations.

Internships are intended to improve technical competencies, workplace readiness, cross-cultural communication, and understanding of multidisciplinary health programs.

Antimicrobial Resistance Initiatives

Antimicrobial resistance is a major SEAOHUN priority. The network supports education, research, community engagement, surveillance, and responsible antimicrobial-use initiatives involving human healthcare, animal health, agriculture, food systems, and the environment.

Since July 2019, SEAOHUN has partnered with Pfizer Thailand on activities addressing antimicrobial resistance in Thailand. Other partners, including Zoetis and USAID, have supported related regional programs and student activities.

International Conferences and Regional Dialogues

SEAOHUN organizes international conferences, workshops, webinars, and regional meetings. These events allow researchers, students, government officials, donors, and practitioners to share evidence and develop partnerships.

Topics commonly include zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, global health security, pandemic preparedness, wildlife health, environmental change, food systems, biosafety, and One Health education.

Impact and Examples of Work Funded

Building a Regional University Network

SEAOHUN has developed one of Southeast Asia’s largest networks of university-based specialists working across human, animal, and environmental health.

A 2023 program report documented collaboration among 216 faculties from 102 universities through SEAOHUN and its eight national networks. More recent organizational information describes a network of over 117 universities, indicating continued expansion.

Training the One Health Workforce

By 2023, SEAOHUN and its national networks reported training more than 30,000 participants in One Health topics. Participants included students, university faculty, researchers, government officials, health professionals, veterinarians, and community practitioners.

The network had also developed more than 400 knowledge products, including teaching resources, research outputs, manuals, reports, communication materials, and training tools.

Supporting Student Leadership

By 2023, SEAOHUN had mobilized 1,566 students through 37 One Health Student Clubs. Student competitions have engaged hundreds of additional participants in public-health communication and community action.

Examples include:

More than 200 students participating in the 2020 COVID-19 Digital Awareness Challenge.
More than 200 students submitting 52 entries on zoonotic-disease risks in 2021.
Students from seven countries producing 58 antimicrobial resistance artworks in 2022.
Thirty-nine teams involving 195 students participating in a biosafety and biosecurity competition in 2023.
Forty-seven teams involving 235 students participating in a wildlife conservation and zoonotic-disease competition in 2024.

Community-Based Student Projects

The 2026 Campus-to-Community Challenge supported projects addressing practical One Health issues, including:

Avian influenza detection and environmental hygiene in rural Cambodia.
A community early-warning system for peatland smoke in Indonesia.
Wildlife consumption and zoonotic spillover prevention in Lao PDR.
Food-safety risks in Malaysian wet markets.
Pollution from backyard pig farms near a lake in the Philippines.
Antimicrobial resistance and exotic-pet ownership in Thailand.
Bilingual rabies education in schools in Vietnam.
Drinking-water quality and household filtration in India.
Community education on zoonoses and antimicrobial resistance in Bangladesh.

These projects demonstrate how small grants can connect university knowledge with community needs.

Medical-Waste Management Research in Cambodia

A recipient from Cambodia’s National Institute of Public Health used a SEAOHUN award to study the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of human and animal health personnel concerning medical-waste management in Kampot Province.

The team used participatory epidemiology to collect evidence and involve participants in identifying causes and solutions. The research highlighted gaps in waste storage, transportation, treatment, and disposal.

The findings supported recommendations for additional training, technical assistance, and financial support. The research was published and contributed evidence for program and policy development.

Antimicrobial Resistance Research

SEAOHUN-supported researchers have examined antimicrobial resistance across multiple countries and sectors. Examples include:

Antibiotic accessibility and use in Cambodian communities.
Antimicrobial resistance in poultry in northern Lao PDR.
Genomic surveillance in Indonesia.
Antibiotic stewardship and community education in Vietnam.
Food-sector antimicrobial resistance in Indonesia.
Community and nursing-led interventions in Malaysia.
Antimicrobial resistance surveillance in aquatic food systems.
Training for food handlers in the Philippines.

These projects connect laboratory research, professional training, community behavior, food systems, animal health, and environmental surveillance.

Strengthening Regional Cooperation

SEAOHUN has helped universities and government agencies communicate across professional and national boundaries. Its regional workshops and conferences bring together ministries, donors, researchers, universities, international agencies, and national One Health platforms.

This cooperation improves the exchange of technical knowledge, supports compatible training standards, and helps participating countries develop coordinated approaches to health emergencies.

Conclusion

The Southeast Asia One Health University Network plays an important role in strengthening health education, research, and workforce capacity across Southeast Asia. Since its establishment in 2011, SEAOHUN has built a large network of universities and national organizations committed to protecting the health of people, animals, plants, and the environment.

Its work combines academic education with field experience, grants, research, scholarships, fellowships, student engagement, professional training, and government collaboration. Programs addressing zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, biosafety, environmental health, and pandemic preparedness help the region develop a workforce capable of responding to increasingly complex health threats.

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