This online symposium focused on connecting African doctoral students researching climate change. It addresses the continent’s high vulnerability and the isolation many researchers face by providing an accessible platform to share work, receive feedback, and collaborate. The event aims to showcase research, networking, bridge the gap between science and policy, and offer mentorship and career guidance. It also encourages interdisciplinary dialogue across areas such as agriculture, health, education, governance, and emerging technologies, helping build a strong network of future African climate leaders.

Climate change is not only an environmental and economic crisis but also a growing mental health challenge. Rising temperatures, extreme weather, and ecological uncertainty contribute to eco-anxiety, climate grief, and psychological distress, yet mental health remains underrepresented in climate research and policy. Addressing these impacts is essential for sustainable adaptation and resilience. This symposium advances interdisciplinary research, supports evidence-based policymaking, and promotes equitable, health-centered climate action. This event provides a platform to explore the links between environmental change and human wellbeing, with selected contributions invited for a Special Issue of Climatic Change.

This IECCCH event at Hamburg University of Applied Sciences on 27 November 2025 explored the intersection of climate change and zoonoses through a global lens, offering one session per continent to highlight region-specific risks, innovations in preparedness, and response strategies. Framed by the new Global Pandemic Agreement, lectures from all over the world providing timely insights into international pandemic risk management and their real-world implications.

"Advancing Health and Malaria Resilience in Africa Through Innovation in a Changing Climate” was an online expert seminar organized by the IECCCH at Hamburg University of Applied Sciences on 13 May 2025. The event brought together researchers, health professionals, and policymakers to discuss how climate change is affecting malaria and other infectious diseases in Africa, explore innovative approaches including AI-driven surveillance and climate-smart health systems, and foster collaboration for building climate-resilient health solutions.

“African Approaches Towards Combatting Infectious Diseases in a Changing Climatic Environment” was an online expert seminar organized by IECCCH at Hamburg University of Applied Sciences on 8 November 2024. The event explored how climate change influences the transmission and prevalence of infectious diseases such as malaria, diarrhea, and yellow fever in Africa, discussed national and regional strategies for disease monitoring and response, and fostered collaboration among researchers, health professionals, policymakers and environmental organizations to strengthen climate-resilient health approaches.

“Climate Change and Health: Perspectives from Developing Countries” was an online expert seminar held on 22 March 2024, organized by the Interdisciplinary Expert Centre on Climate Change and Health (IECCCH) at Hamburg University of Applied Sciences in collaboration with international research partners. The event brought together experts, researchers, and practitioners to discuss how climate change affects health in developing countries, highlighting vulnerabilities, public health challenges such as infectious and climate-sensitive diseases, strategies for risk management, and the importance of cross-sectoral collaboration to build resilient health systems and effective advocacy responses.