The new office will serve as a central hub for building strategic alliances with international hospitals, universities, and health organisations, expanding opportunities for research, training, and knowledge exchange.
Monash Health has officially launched its new Global Relations Office (MHGRO), marking a major step in the health service’s push to build stronger international partnerships and future-ready health systems around the world.
The Global Relations Office will be a clear point of contact for organisations seeking strategic partnerships, spanning clinical quality and safety, workforce capability, education, research, innovation and commercialisation, and humanitarian affairs, and will have a dedicated coordinating function.
Through collaboration, capability building and innovation, the office aims to help Monash Health become Australia’s most trusted partner in advancing health systems.
‘We want to be leading the charge in terms of clinical trials, in terms of research, in terms of education, because as a leading tertiary teaching centre that is highly research intensive, we have a duty not only to deliver excellent clinical services, but also education and training that makes sure that we are paying forward for the next generation to be able to deliver high quality care for all the people who need it,’ said Monash Health Chief Executive Officer Professor Eugine Yafele.
A ‘significant step’ towards global impact
Associate Professor Tam Nguyen, Director of Research and Innovation and MHGRO Co-Director, said the new office reflected the growing need for cross-border collaboration in healthcare.
‘Monash Health is aiming to create global impact through the development of a Global Relations Strategy and the establishment of the Global Relations Office — creating new opportunities to enhance clinical care, workforce, education, research and humanitarian impact,’ he said.
A launch event at Investment Centre Victoria on 2 July 2026, brought together leaders from government, academia, healthcare, research and industry, along with international representatives from across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.
Associate Professor Nguyen, who co-directs the office alongside Associate Professor Jason Goh, Director of Medical Services, said it was inspiring to hear from a variety of distinguished leaders at the launch, describing the strong turnout of international representatives as a reflection of the significance of the occasion.
Congratulatory remarks were delivered by guests, including:
- Yohannes Jatmiko Heru Prasetyo, Consul-General of the Republic of Indonesia in Melbourne
- Jerry Henley, CEO, Azunic AI (USA)
- Dr Akhmal Yusof, CEO, Clinical Research Malaysia
- Professor Asnawi Abdullah, Director General of Health Policy, Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia
Monash Health’s Board and Executive were also represented, including Board Chair Michael Gorton AM, Deputy-Chair Professor Jane Bell AM, Director Felicity Topp, Professor Stephen Nicholls, Director of the Victorian Heart Hospital and Professor Helena Teade AM, Director of the Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation.
Other VIP guests included:
- Bella Katz, Consul-General of New Zealand in Melbourne
- Furuya Tokuro, Consul-General of Japan in Melbourne
- Professor Robyn Ward AM, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research & Enterprise), Senior Vice-President at Monash University
- Dr Daniela Caiazza, Vice President, Clinical Services and General Manager, ANZ at Novotech
- and Professor Carol Hodgson, Executive Director of Monash Partners Health Translation Network.
The official welcome was delivered by Danni Jarrett, CEO of Global Victoria and Deputy Secretary for Industry, Trade and Investment at the Victorian Government, who spoke to Victoria’s global leadership in healthcare innovation, research and medical breakthroughs, underpinned by strong government investment.
Addressed the gathering, Professor Mimi Tang, Chair of the ASEAN-Australia Centre, emphasised Australia’s growing healthcare engagement in Southeast Asia through sustainable partnerships in research, innovation and education.
New international partnerships
The event also saw Monash Health announce two new Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with international industry partners: US-based Azunic AI, represented by CEO Jerry Henley, and Germany-based Data4Life, represented by Chief of Staff Tim Walz.
The new agreements add to Monash Health’s growing global footprint.
The health service currently holds 15 formal MoUs, and 163 broader international engagements, taking its total global relations activity to 178.
Existing MoU partners span Indonesia (6), the United States (2), Malaysia (2), Australia and New Zealand (2), Japan (1), Singapore (1), Taiwan (1) and China (1).
‘Let the Storytelling Begin’
Monash Health’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Georgia Soldatos, reflected on the significance of the launch, describing it as a step toward ‘turning opportunity into impact.’
‘While international collaborations have been a part of Monash Health’s story for many decades, the establishment of the Global Relations Office provides a dedicated coordinating function and a clear point of contact for organisations seeking strategic partnerships with us,’ she said.
‘We have both an opportunity and an obligation to share our expertise, experience and learnings beyond our local community.’
‘Our success will not be defined by agreements signed or delegations hosted, but by the tangible outcomes we achieve for patients, clinicians and communities.’
‘The foundations have been laid. Now, let the storytelling begin.’
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