“Kigali, are you there?”
“Check, Stockholm?”
“Seoul, we hear you loud and clear.”

On the opening day of the International Vaccinology Course, three classrooms—IVI headquarters in Seoul, IRCAD in Kigali, and Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm—connected across continents. For five days, over 275 participants shared a curriculum of lectures, discussions, and field visits under the theme: Vaccines in a Changing World: Innovation and Access.

At a time when AI is reshaping vaccine design, climate change is shifting disease patterns, and global health budgets are in flux, one thing is constant: the need for skilled, passionate professionals who can bridge science, policy, and global health. That mission brought together students, scientists, clinicians, and policymakers from six continents to learn from one another and imagine new possibilities.

Learning with purpose

For some, the course opened new professional directions. Bora Jessyca Umugwaneza, a pharmacy graduate from Rwanda, joined the Kigali session after a mentor encouraged her to explore vaccinology. “This course was a chance for me to see what I can do apart from just the pharmacy world that I know,” she said. “What if I tried vaccines, see how they are manufactured? That’s why I am here today.”

Her words capture what the course has always been about: creating entry points into the vaccine field and showing how diverse backgrounds can translate into impact on global health.

The program blended foundational science with the pressing issues of today. Sessions covered everything from basic immunology and correlates of protection to health economics, clinical trial design in low-resource settings, and the role of AI in vaccine R&D. Faculty also addressed real-world challenges like fragile health systems, vaccine hesitancy, and climate-driven changes to disease spread.

Beyond the lecture halls, site visits made the vaccine value chain tangible. In Stockholm, participants toured the Royal Institute of Technology’s pilot plant and heard directly from scientists shaping vaccine manufacturing. In Seoul, they visited Korea National Institute of Biomedical Research and Training (KNIBRT) Center, a new state-of-the-art hub for vaccine development. And in Kigali, they saw Africa’s growing manufacturing and clinical capacity at TKMD Rwanda and the Center for Family Health Research.

Voices across the ecosystem

The course assembled 52 faculty across the three sites, representing the entire vaccine ecosystem. Industry leaders from Hilleman Laboratories and Moderna shared the realities of moving a candidate through development. Public health voices from Africa CDC, WHO, and UNICEF addressed policy and implementation. Research scientists from IVI, University of Rwanda, and Karolinska Institutet added perspectives from fundamental research to translational science.

Their expertise connected directly to participant work. For example, when Prof. Mark Jit lectured on health economics from Seoul, it resonated immediately in Kigali with Mzati Mphepo, a physician from Malawi conducting Strep A surveillance: “Part of the study is looking at the cost of illness, and when Prof. Jit was talking, it all made more sense and helped me lean more into the work we’re doing.”

Fellows in focus

The 29 fellows across Seoul and Kigali also presented posters showcasing their research, connecting early-career researchers with seasoned experts, creating some of the course’s most dynamic moments. Topics ranged from antimicrobial resistance surveillance in Nigeria to dengue vaccine studies and arbovirus research in Kenya. These sessions are a core component of the IVI Vaccinology Fellowship, which offers fully funded scholarships for future public health leaders to attend the course in either Seoul or Kigali.

For many fellows, it was an opportunity to explore new directions in their work. Diana Hellen Koka, a research scientist from the Kenya Medical Research Institute, reflected: “I’ve been doing a lot of mosquito-borne arbovirus research and, more recently, tick-borne. Now I’m thinking: what can I do beyond surveillance? I want to move a little higher and come up with research studies that have impact. And what better way than to get into vaccinology? Since I don’t have a basis for vaccine studies, I needed not only a course but hands-on experience in how to make vaccines.”

As previous years, 12 participants from India, the Philippines, and Thailand received scholarships to join the Seoul site through the core contributions to IVI provided by their respective governments, which are strong supporters of IVI’s mission and initiatives.

Science in service of global health

What distinguishes this course is its breadth. “I’ve attended many courses focused only on the science behind vaccines,” said Sebastian Nicolas Trinitario, Ph.D., an immunology teacher from Argentina and fellow joining the Seoul site. “This one goes beyond. It teaches us about regulatory aspects and how to translate vaccines to reach not only the market but the patients. It is science in the service of global health.”

That broader perspective resonated in Stockholm, where participant Olivia Engstrand noted: “This year’s theme is very fitting. I’ve particularly liked the focus on access—about vaccination, not just vaccines.”

Building a living network

Perhaps the most enduring impact is the sense of connection. Over 24 years, the course has trained nearly 6,000 professionals, creating a living network of alumni working across every part of the vaccine field. As Rodrigo Arcoverde Cerveira De Silva, a participant from Karolinska Institutet, put it: “Since I did a Master in Vaccinology, I thought this would be a good opportunity to get an update on vaccinology and also meet new people. Networking is one of the key things for me—networking.”

This collaborative mindset may be the course’s most important legacy. Participants return home not only with knowledge, but with colleagues they can call on across borders and disciplines.

As the graduation ceremonies closed in Seoul, Kigali, and Stockholm, the collective energy was clear. Participants left with a deeper understanding of both the technical and human sides of vaccinology—what it takes to design, test, deliver, and ensure access to vaccines in a complex and changing world. When innovation and access work hand in hand, the result is more than just better vaccines—it’s a more equitable world, and ultimately, a healthier world for all.

“The course is about collaborating with people who have come from different parts of the vaccine value chain, taking what they’ve gotten from this course and going back to do their own bit,” reflected Kigali faculty member Whitney Anunwa of the Clinton Health Access Initiative. “We can’t change vaccinology or change the world on our own, right? It’s about everyone doing their bit to feed the change they want to see.”

The 24th International Vaccinology Course was hosted by IVI, Karolinska Institutet, and the University of Rwanda. It was sponsored by CEPI, EAC Regional Centre of Excellence, Gates Foundation, Hilleman Laboratories, Korea Support Committee for IVI, EuBiologics, Moderna, Pfizer, Sanofi, and Valneva.

By: Aerie Em
Published: 26 September 2025