UNITAR
07 September 2026, Geneva, Switzerland - UNITAR, in partnership with Empower School of Health, delivered the inaugural edition of the Youth Career Accelerator in Health (YCAH), bringing students and early-career professionals from 16 countries to the Palais des Nations from 17 to 21 August 2026 for a five-day immersive workshop dedicated to careers in global health.
Designed for those studying, working in, or exploring careers in the health sector, the programme offered participants direct exposure to the institutions and industries that shape global health from Geneva. Over five days, expert-led sessions, structured career-planning exercises and direct exchanges with senior professionals brought participants into contact with UN officials, senior health leaders, humanitarian practitioners, academics, clinicians, and representatives from the pharmaceutical, biotech and MedTech sectors.
Participants attended sessions at the Palais des Nations and engaged with experts and practitioners from across the Swiss and Geneva ecosystem, such as HUG, Referens Clinic, Novartis and Roche, gaining a broad view of how careers in the sector are built across policy, research, clinical practice, humanitarian action, innovation and industry.
What distinguished YCAH was the deliberate blending of these worlds. Few places bring together, in one setting, the multilateral institutions of International Geneva, the Swiss ecosystem of world-class hospitals, universities and industry, and the practical realities of building a career in global health. YCAH was designed to draw on all three at once, giving participants a holistic view of the sector rarely available in a single week: the frameworks that shape policy, the science and practice that deliver care, and the innovation that drives the sector forward.
A strong first edition
UNITAR
Post-workshop feedback pointed to a highly positive first experience. Every respondent reported they would recommend YCAH to other students and young professionals, with the overall experience rated 4.67 out of 5. Speaker quality and direct interaction with experienced professionals were among the highest-rated elements, and participants consistently pointed to the value of greater career clarity, exposure to senior role models, and the international peer network the programme created.
The inaugural cohort came from 16 countries spanning Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia, and represented institutions ranging from major medical faculties and research universities to student associations and clinical practice.
Participant voice
UNITAR
For Rania El amri Benazzouz, a medical student from Morocco, the programme was "Transformative. It gave me the opportunity to step outside my comfort zone, meet people from different backgrounds and perspectives, and understand that healthcare is not only about science, it is also about leadership, communication, collaboration and the courage to create change."
Matheus Bresser, from Brazil, described a shift in perspective: "The programme shifted my thinking from 'am I ready for an international career' to 'which door should I open first.' I leave Geneva with a clearer direction, a larger network, and stronger confidence that my work in governance matters at the global level."
Tatenda from Trinity Pharmacy, Zimbabwe, reflected on what it meant to meet senior figures in global health face to face: "Meeting with global health leaders who have field experience provided a clearer vision that says, it is possible to achieve the dreams that looked too big in my own eyes."
Looking ahead
By connecting young people at a formative stage of their careers with the institutions, ideas and networks of International Geneva, the programme helps prepare a new generation of professionals equipped to work across the boundaries that global health challenges so often cross.
Building on the success of this first edition, UNITAR and Empower School of Health are planning the next iteration for early 2027.
Special thanks to the participating organisations: Empower School of Health, Permanent Mission of Barbados to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, UNDP, Global Fund, GAVI, MSF, VillageReach, Referens Clinic, Roche, dataHeard, University of Abuja, GHDI Advisory, Sartorius, FIND, and UNITAID.