Asia Centre for Health Security

What Asia Centre for Health Security does

Asia Centre for Health Security (ACHS) is an academic think tank founded in April 2024 and headquartered at the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, with a working partnership with the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University. The organisation focuses on four interlinked areas: Biorisk Management, Biosecurity & International Security, Law & Governance, and Preparedness & Response Systems. Its portfolio combines research outputs (for example the Emerging Biosecurity Landscape in Southeast Asia monograph and a study on gene synthesis regulation in Asia), educational programmes (the ACHS Fellowship Programme, quarterly webinar series, Global Health Security Law Course, Laboratory Biosafety & Biosecurity Workshop, Deliberate Biothreat Events Workshop, and the Biosecurity Simulation Exercise), and regional convening activities such as the Southeast Asia Health Security Roundtable Series and the high-level meeting on Risk Communication for Public Health Emergencies co-hosted with the Asia-Europe Foundation.

The centre serves government officials, policymakers, legal practitioners, laboratory and biosecurity professionals, researchers, graduate students, and defence and security professionals across Asia-Pacific, with engagement recorded across at least 27 countries spanning ASEAN, South Asia, North Asia, Australia, and Europe. ACHS does not sell a software product; its offering is intellectual: training, research, policy advice, and convening. Revenue derives from registration fees for courses and workshops (for example SGD 250 for the Global Health Security Law Course and SGD 750 for BSX 2026, with LMIC discounts roughly halving those prices) and from grants and convening support provided by institutional funders including Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Asia-Europe Foundation, and the Singapore Cooperation Programme.

Operationally, ACHS is a small organisation with approximately 12 staff, governed by an International Advisory Panel that includes representatives from Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, the UK Health Security Agency, ASEAN bodies, and others. The think tank positions itself as Asia's first dedicated academic centre focused specifically on health security and biosecurity, and is building an institutional role in shaping regional input into instruments such as the WHO Pandemic Agreement and International Health Regulations amendments.

Name

Asia Centre for Health Security

Legal name

Asia Centre for Health Security

Website

https://asia-chs.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Asia Centre for Health Security is a Singapore-based academic think tank founded in 2024 at NUS that delivers research, training, fellowships, and convening programmes on biosecurity, health security law, and pandemic preparedness for governments and professionals across Asia-Pacific.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Health Security and Biosecurity Policy Research

NAICS

National Security and International Affairs (9281), National Security (928110)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Health Policy, Planning & Governance (BPAIAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

International & Global Public Health Aid Administration (Government Donors) (HLAJALAO), Global Health Institutes & Programs (EDAHAGAM)

Keywords

• Health security policy
• Biosecurity training
• Pandemic preparedness
• Biosafety research
• Regional health governance

Headquarters

HQ city

Singapore

HQ country

Singapore

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Course and Workshop Fees: Revenue generated from registration fees for educational programmes including Global Health Security Law Course (SGD $250 standard, SGD $125 LMIC/Student) and Biosecurity Simulation Exercise (SGD $750 standard, SGD $250 LMIC)
2. Funding and Grants: Support from institutional funders and partners including Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), and Singapore Cooperation Programme

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Asia Centre for Health Security is an academic think tank that delivers education and training programmes (a 12-month Fellowship Programme, a quarterly Webinar Series, multi-day courses on global health security law, laboratory biosafety and biosecurity, deliberate biothreat events, and a table-top Biosecurity Simulation Exercise) and produces applied research on regional biosecurity, biorisk management, and health security law and governance. It convenes government agencies, academic institutions, and international organisations across the Asia-Pacific region to inform health-security policy and practice.

Product overview

Asia Centre for Health Security is an academic think tank (not a product company) that operates through four interconnected focus areas: Biorisk Management, Biosecurity & International Security, Law & Governance, and Preparedness & Response Systems. The Centre's offerings include educational programs (ACHS Fellowship Programme, ACHS Webinar Series, Global Health Security Law Course), professional workshops (Laboratory Biosafety & Biosecurity Workshop, Deliberate Biothreat Events Workshop, Biosecurity Simulation Exercise), and research outputs (monographs, reports, and publications on biosecurity governance and health security policy). These programs work together to strengthen regional capacity and policy development for biological threat preparedness in Asia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ACHS Fellowship Programme A highly competitive, part-time 12-month fellowship program for graduate students and professionals to deepen expertise, expand networks, and build leadership skills in biosafety and biosecurity through training and project work mentored by ACHS faculty.
• ACHS Webinar Series Quarterly webinar platform featuring diverse groups of experts including leading academics and public health professionals to discuss and share innovative developments in health security across the Asia-Pacific region.
• Global Health Security Law Course A three-day course organised in partnership with the Centre for International Law, NUS, providing participants with an overview of key legal frameworks governing global health security including WHO, IHR, Pandemic Treaty, and Access and Benefit Sharing.
• Laboratory Biosafety & Biosecurity Workshop Two-day workshop providing updates on current issues in laboratory biosafety and biosecurity, featuring WHO initiatives, international guidelines, and networking opportunities with senior-level experts to discuss challenges and resources for biorisk management.
• Deliberate Biothreat Events Workshop Two-day workshop providing overview of current issues in preparedness and response for deliberate biothreat events, with particular emphasis on the Asia-Pacific region through interactive talks, discussions, and scenarios.
• Biosecurity Simulation Exercise (BSX 2026) Table-top simulation exercise aimed at enhancing inter-sectoral and inter-disciplinary preparedness for laboratory biosafety/biosecurity and deliberate biothreat events through lectures, discussions, and structured scenario-driven exercises.

Quantifiable outcome

• Regional engagement from 27+ countries across Asia and Europe
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, major and core.

• World Health Organization (WHO)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 2025WHO and Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, NUS forged strategic partnership to strengthen global health emergency preparedness. ACHS faculty contribute to WHO initiatives including WHO Pandemic Agreement development, WHO Lab Biosafety Manual, and health systems for health security frameworks.
• Ramaiah Medical College IndiamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Host venue for Expert Roundtable on Biological Threat Risks from State and Non-state Actors (Jul 2025). Partnership expands ACHS reach into Indian healthcare and academic sectors.
• Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2024ASEF and ACHS co-convened high-level meeting on Risk Communication for Public Health Emergencies (Nov 2024) with over 50 officials from 27 countries. Partnership enables bi-regional exchange between Asia and Europe.
• Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024DFAT provided support for Southeast Asia Health Security Roundtable Series. Partnership enables regional dialogue and collaboration on health security issues across ASEAN and Australia.
• Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs Cooperation Programme (SCP)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Co-funded Southeast Asia Health Security Roundtable Series. Supports capacity building and regional health security cooperation.
• Indian Institute of Science (IISc) BengalurumajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Host venue for Expert Roundtable Panel Dialogue on Technologies in Outbreak Preparedness and Response (Nov 2024). Collaboration enables engagement with Indian scientific and policy community.
• National University of Singapore, Saw Swee Hock School of Public HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACHS headquarters located at Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, NUS. Provides institutional anchor, faculty affiliations, and administrative infrastructure. ACHS Director Prof Hsu Li Yang serves as Vice Dean of Global Health at NUS SSHSPH.
• S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking partner for biosecurity and international security research. Co-organises roundtables and workshops on emerging biosecurity landscape, BWC confidence-building measures, and CSCAP Study Group meetings. Prof Mely Caballero-Anthony leads ACHS Biosecurity focus area with RSIS affiliation.
• National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) SingaporecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner for clinical and public health expertise. Faculty include NCID representatives. IAP visits include NCID to understand collaborative relationships with governmental agencies.
• Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) SingaporecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA/Prof Marc Ho serves as Advisor, Policy and Systems at CDA. ACHS Fellowship includes visits to CDA. Collaboration on pandemic preparedness and disease surveillance initiatives.
• Centre for International Law, National University of SingaporecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organises Global Health Security Law Course with ACHS. A/Prof Ayelet Berman leads Global Health Law & Governance Program at CIL and serves as ACHS Law and Governance lead.
• Johns Hopkins Center for Health SecuritymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIAP member Ms Anita Cicero from Johns Hopkins. Represents international collaboration with leading global health security institution. Supports ACHS strategic guidance and regional visibility.
• Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProf Stuart Blacksell serves as faculty for workshops and simulation exercises. MORU logo displayed as working partner supporting ACHS initiatives.
• Universitas Padjadjaran (UNPAD) IndonesiamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFaculty representative from UNPAD participated in Southeast Asia Health Security Roundtable. Represents Indonesian academic partnership in regional health security dialogue.
• Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Program (HITAP) ThailandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFaculty representative from HITAP participated in Southeast Asia Health Security Roundtable. Represents Thai expertise in health technology assessment and policy.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Chatham House Centre on Global Health Security: Royal Institute of International Affairs' health security centre publishes research and convenes policymakers on biosecurity, AMR, and pandemic governance. Closely comparable to ACHS in combining policy research, convening, and educational programming at the international affairs-health nexus.
• Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security: Academic center at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health focused on health security policy, pandemic preparedness, and biosecurity. ACHS explicitly cites Johns Hopkins CHS as an International Advisory Panel partner and aspires to a comparable role as a regional academic convener.
• Georgetown Center for Global Health Science and Security: Georgetown University's academic center produces health security policy analysis, trains graduate students, and advises governments on IHR and pandemic preparedness. Directly comparable to ACHS as a university-anchored health security research and training center.
• Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) Bio: NTI's bio program works globally on biosecurity, biological weapons convention strengthening, and pandemic preparedness with a strong convening and policy-advocacy remit, directly comparable to ACHS's deliberate biothreat and BWC confidence-building measures work.

Emerging players

• Pandemic Action Network: Global advocacy network of 200+ organizations working to end the COVID-19 pandemic and bolster preparedness. Shares ACHS's policy advocacy and convening role across health security, though focused on cross-sector advocacy rather than academic research.
• Brown University Pandemic Center: University-based center launched in 2022 to strengthen pandemic preparedness and response, particularly focused on U.S. state and federal capacity. Comparable as a recently established academic pandemic center, though with a U.S. rather than Asia-Pacific geographic focus.
• King's College London Centre for Global Health: Academic centre producing global health policy research and training across infectious disease preparedness and health systems. Comparable as a university-based health security research and training entity, though with a European rather than Asia-Pacific focus.

Broad incumbents

• World Health Organization - Health Emergencies Programme: WHO's WHE programme sets global norms on pandemic preparedness, biosafety, and IHR implementation. ACHS faculty contribute to WHO initiatives, and ACHS positions itself as the Asia-specialist implementation partner; comparable as a global health security authority though far larger in scope.
• Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) - Global Health Policy Center: CSIS's Global Health Policy Center conducts policy research and convening on pandemic preparedness, biological threats, and global health governance. Comparable to ACHS in its biosecurity and international security focus, but operating as a broader Washington-based think tank.

Regional players

• Asian Development Bank Institute - Health and Health Systems: ADBI conducts research and capacity building for Asian policymakers on health systems and pandemic preparedness. Comparable as a regional Asia-focused health security research and convening organization, though operating under a multilateral development bank mandate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Asia_CHS
• Facebookfacebook.com/achs.nus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/asia-centre-for-health-security
• Instagraminstagram.com/asia_centre_health_security

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Asia Centre for Health Security