German Chancellor Scholz welcomed the new members during the constituent meeting on March 18, 2024

Prof. Dirk Brockmann, Founding Director of the Center Synergy of Systems (SynoSys) at TUD Dresden University of Technology, has been appointed to the federal government’s newly established Expert’s Council for Health and Resilience. The constituent meeting of this committee, which succeeds the “Coronavirus Expert Council,” took place on March 18, 2024 at the German Chancellery. Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz personally welcomed the members and emphasized the significance of this high-caliber committee, chaired by Prof. Heyo Kroemer of Charité Berlin, to better prepare us for future health crises.

“I am delighted to have been appointed to this committee and to have the opportunity to work with my colleagues on preventive health and resilience. The fact that the Federal Chancellor welcomed us in person underlines the importance that the German government attaches to thorough preparation for any potential health crises,” said Prof. Brockmann of TUD.

The establishment of the Expert Council for Health and Resilience is a direct outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic, which clearly demonstrated the value of preventive analyses and strategies. In addition to pandemics and endemics, the Expert Council will address other health-related phenomena, such as climate change and demographic change. The experts are tasked in particular with classifying the impact of health risks and crises on the health system and developing recommendations – including ad hoc recommendations – for policymakers. 

“The preventative nature of our committee is most welcome and breaks with what was otherwise a more reactive approach during much of the Covid pandemic. The interdisciplinary composition of this committee, which includes experts from medicine, epidemiology, ethics, science, social science, behavioral science, political science, and economics, is critical to providing a 360-degree view of our work on health and resilience,” added Brockmann.

Brockmann is certain that this interdisciplinarity not only creates synergies within the committee – but also with regard to his work in setting up SynoSis at TUD. The aim is to develop methods for tackling complex and fast-moving phenomena such as pandemics, chronic diseases, mental health, and planetary health through interdisciplinary teams.

Prof. Brockmann will report on his research in the newly established SynoSys department on May 30 as part of the university-wide inaugural lecture.

Contact:
Prof. Dirk Brockmann
Founding Director of SynoSys at TU Dresden