Reflections from the 2024 GHBN Summer School in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

I was first introduced to the GHBN during the COVID-19 pandemic and had found the resources provided by the network useful and insightful for my work as a clinical ethicist in Malaysia. Hence, I was indeed privileged and excited to be selected as one of three successful external applicants for the GHBN Summer School held in Kuala Lumpur this year. Over the 4 days that we spent together, I realised that many of the 'global health' topics that we discussed such as antimicrobial resistance, migration, and how to navigate through religious and cultural contexts in bioethics, were very closely related to my work locally, albeit viewed from a different perspective. I was also very happy to have been able to provide some insights on the work currently being done in Malaysia related to determining mental capacity and identifying surrogates for medical decision by way of introducing a much-needed Mental Capacity Act. Attending the summer school has benefitted me personally and professionally- I have been edified by the collegiality among the other participants, and was struck by not only how willing they were to share their experiences and challenges with me, but also their openness to collaboration. It has also encouraged and inspired me to view some of the clinical ethical issues that I often deal with from a different lens. I look forward to continue working with members of the GHBN family, and hope to be able to catch up at the next summer school!

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