The Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) proudly recognizes the outstanding contributions of its network to the 2025 APEC Healthy Women, Healthy Economies Research Prize, which honors research that advances women’s economic participation through improved health outcomes.

Professor Mellissa Withers of the University of Southern California, Director of the APRU Global Health Program, served as a judge since the prize was launched in 2019, reinforcing APRU’s commitment to promoting impactful, evidence-based health research across the Asia-Pacific region.

Among the prize recipients was Sok King Ong, a highly active member of the APRU Global Health Program, who earned second place for her research. With a joint appointment at the Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Sok King Ong is also affiliated with the School of Public Health and Primary Care (SPHPC) at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). Her work and ongoing contributions to APRU initiatives, including the Mini Certificate in Health Research Ethics, exemplify the caliber of research and collaboration fostered within the APRU network.

The winning project, led by Professor Jun Zhu of China’s National Health Commission, developed a maternal health surveillance system that significantly reduced maternal mortality rates in China. Other runners-up included Dr. Ramona Vijeyarasa of Australia and Dr. Meiping Aggie Sun and her team from China.

“This recognition underscores the importance of regional collaboration and the role of academic networks like APRU in driving health equity and economic empowerment,” said Professor Withers. “We are thrilled to see our members contributing to such transformative work.”

APRU congratulates all the prize recipients and remains committed to supporting research that empowers women and strengthens public health systems across the Pacific Rim.

APEC’s “Healthy Women, Healthy Economies” initiative convenes government (health, labor, gender officials), private sector, academia and other interested stakeholders to raise awareness and promote good practices to enhance women’s economic participation by improving women’s health. More information available at: https://www.apec.org/healthywomen/HWHE_Prize