ZOOSURSY Students Club: young scientists at the heart of zoonotic disease preparedness

Young people entering science today, will be on the front line of tomorrow’s health crises. As emerging diseases increasingly arise from the interactions between humans, animals and the environment, the next generation of scientists must be equipped with interdisciplinary skills to anticipate and prevent future outbreaks. 

Training these young professionals to think across sectors — health, ecology, and virology — has become a strategic priority in global health preparedness. It is within this perspective that the ZOOSURSY Students Club was created, placing young scientists at the heart of efforts to better understand and prevent emerging viral zoonoses. 

Building on this vision, the ZOOSURSY project, funded by the European Union through the Global Gateway, works to improve preparedness for emerging viral zoonoses, such as avian influenza, through a One Health approach. The project brings together academic and research partners including IRD, Cirad, Helmholtz Institute for One Health, Institut Pasteur, and the University of Helsinki.

Young scientists are at the core of this effort. On 14 January 2026, nineteen master’s and doctoral students involved in ZOOSURSY met for the first time as part of the newly created Students Club. Coming from Gabon, Kenya, Cameroon, Zimbabwe, Guinea, Congo and the Central African Republic, and linked to universities in Africa, Europe and North America, they represent a new generation of future professionals working on zoonotic disease dynamics. 

While their individual thesis topics differ, their scientific focus converges on a common challenge: understanding how viruses circulate at the human–animal–environment interface. Beyond virology and epidemiology, their work also draws on disciplines such as ecology and social sciences to better capture the human, environmental and behavioural factors that shape emergence and transmission. Through the Students Club, participants learn from one another, broadening their scope and fostering innovative, cross-sectoral thinking.  

The Students Club was created as a space for dialogue and peer learning. It aims to foster regular exchanges between students and the wider consortium, encourage peer-to-peer feedback on scientific projects and host talks by experienced scientists whose work aligns with student interests. 

Together, these efforts aim to enhance preparedness for future outbreaks — a cornerstone of the One Health vision promoted by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and its partners. 

Beyond scientific results, the initiative addresses another key challenge in global health: building and sustaining zoonotic diseases management capacity in regions most affected by zoonotic threats. Through ZOOSURSY, students benefit from hands-on training, fieldwork opportunities, mentorship and access to international and local networks, including collaborations with institutions and bringing expertise to national Institutions. These experiences help translate theory into practice, while strengthening local and regional expertise. 

Meetings will be held every two months, complemented by semester-based mentoring sessions focused on both scientific and professional development. A highlight of this network will be the first ZOOSURSY Symposium, planned for October 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya. By then, students are expected to present their projects to consortium partners, building on relationships formed through the club and contributing directly to the project’s scientific output. 

In a field where preparedness depends on sustained investment in people as much as in data, initiatives like the ZOOSURSY Students Club play a strategic role. They help ensure that research on emerging zoonoses is not only produced, but embedded within a growing community of scientists equipped to respond to future health threats. 

By placing young scientists at the centre of its One Health approach, the EU-funded ZOOSURSY project highlights a simple principle: strengthening global readiness for tomorrow’s outbreaks begins with empowering those who will be studying them today.