
The World Health Assembly Simulation (WHA SIM) is an unprecedented and exclusive opportunity that has been meticulously crafted by the esteemed School of Global Health. This initiative has emerged in response to the ever-growing importance of global health matters and the need to foster in-depth discussions, connections, and insights within this field. As the world grapples with a myriad of urgent health challenges, ranging from pandemics to healthcare disparities, there is a pressing demand for a platform that replicates the highest level of governance at the World Health Organization (WHO).
The WHA Simulation has three main objectives:
- Fostering engaging discussions on pressing global health issues through simulated World Health Assembly sessions
- Connecting diverse experts from various global health backgrounds to promote collaboration
- Guiding the next generation of global health leaders by offering insights into potential career paths.
To achieve these goals, the event replicates the World Health Assembly's decision-making processes, hosts expert panels and workshops on topics like pandemic preparedness, and provides career development opportunities. The expected outcomes include an enhanced understanding of global health issues, networking opportunities, and informed career choices for participants, potentially leading to innovative solutions and advocacy efforts in the global health field.
Project Activities
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Project Leads
Dr. Ahmad Firas Khalid, MD, PhD
Ahmad Firas Khalid is a medical doctor, a health policy and system researcher and lecturer, and a knowledge translation professional. Firas completed his medical degree at St. George’s University School of Medicine and his PhD in health policy at McMaster University. Firas worked as a senior research manager at Evidence Aid, working on creating a World Health Organization (WHO) Knowledge Hub on emergency disasters research management and with the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) on the creation of a Resilient Health Systems collection to advise member states. He is also a CIHR Health System Impact Fellow and a Mitacs Elevate Training Fellow working on "Implementation of efforts to support real-time evidence use in humanitarian practice at the Canadian Red Cross." Firas is a board member for Doctors Without Borders, where his responsibility is to set the strategic direction for the entire Canadian branch of the organization. In the past, Firas worked as a senior research and learning consultant at the Canadian Red Cross, working on epidemic prevention and control of COVID-19 research. Firas also previously worked as a health policy researcher at the Research Unit on Humanitarian Stakes and Practices (UREPH) at Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Geneva, Switzerland, and in the department of Child and Maternal Health at the World Health Organization, also in Geneva, Switzerland. Firas is the founder and executive director of Knowledge Translation Hub – a knowledge synthesis hub designed to meet the demands of decision-makers and organizations.
Dr. A.M. Viens, PhD
Dr. A.M. Viens is the Inaugural Director of the School of Global Health and an Associate Professor of Global Health at York University. He has degrees in philosophy and law from the Universities of Toronto, Oxford, and London. His research specialization focuses on global health ethics and global health law, with a particular interest in demonstrating how philosophical analysis, legal epidemiology, and regulatory theory should shape how we approach different issues within global health policy, practice, and research (especially infectious diseases, disasters and emergencies, and health promotion). His latest book is Public Health Law: Ethics, Governance, and Regulation, co-authored with John Coggon and Keith Syrett (Routledge, 2017). He is an Investigator in the Global Strategy Lab and a member of the WHO Collaboration Centre on the Global Governance of Antimicrobial Resistance. He is also an Honorary Member of the UK Faculty of Public Health, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health, and Editor-in-Chief of Health Care Analysis.
External Funders
Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research, York University Faculty Association, Jack & Mae Nathanson Centre, York University



Themes | Global Health Foresighting |
Status | Active |
Related Work |
N/A
|
Updates |
Shaping Future Health Leaders Through Experiential Learning: Success Stories from the World Health Assembly Simulation (WHA SIM) 2025 | May 14, 2025
Global health simulation empowers tomorrow’s health leaders | April 11, 2025 Opportunity - Experiential Learning in Global Health WI25 | November 18, 2024 2024 World Health Assembly Recap | June 10, 2024 Student Opportunity W24 - Experiential Learning in Global Health - Research Assistant | November 29, 2023 Groundbreaking global health simulation slated for May | April 17, 2023 |
People |
Emmanuel Musa, Community Fellow, Global Health and Humanitarianism - Active
Ahmad Firas Khalid, Faculty Fellow, Faculty of Health - Active Megan Ann George, Research Associate, Advisor, WHA Simulation 2025 - Alum Sharon Justice-D, Experiential Learning in Global Health, Global Health Intern [F23] - Alum Sameen Ali, Experiential Learning in Global Health, Global Health Intern [W23] - Alum Nurzha Abam, Global Health Intern, Experiential Learning [W25] - Alum Nicole Okojie, Global Health Intern, Global Foresighting [W25] - Alum Giovanna Batti, Experiential Learning, Global Health Intern [FW23-24] - Alum Faiza Wali, Experiential Learning, Global Health Intern [SU23] - Alum Clarissa Eggen, Experiential Learning, Global Health Intern [SU23; FW23-24] - Alum Aaranee Sritharan, Experiential Learning, Global Health Intern [SU23; FW23-24] - Alum |
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