Neurodiplomacy Working Group
The goal of this working group is to provide a platform for neurodiplomacy stakeholders worldwide to engage and accelerate the vision of IBI for the promotion of brain health for all people. For our vision to be accelerated, there is a need to provide space for world leaders in neuroscience, brain health, economy, industry, education, policy and other stakeholders to actively engage in building the social, economic and policy synaptic connectivity and synergistic networks that will shape the future of neuroscience and brain health for the benefit of all.
Working Group Members
Alfred K. Njamnshi, Brain Research Africa Initiative (BRAIN) & The University of Yaoundé I, Cameroon (Lead)
Harris A. Eyre, Baker Institute Neuro-Policy Program, Rice University, USA
Maria E. Castello, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable Montevideo, Uruguay
Agustin Ibanez, BrainLat Institute, Chile
Kristina Adorjan, University of Bern, Switzerland
Gagandeep Singh, Indian Academy of Neurology, India
More international members are invited!
Working Group Activities
The launching of the Yaoundé Declaration on the Brain Economy, Brain Health and Brain Capital in Yaoundé on World Brain Day 2024 (July 22, 2024) and the endorsement by the Cameroon Government on August 22, 2024, followed by an international showcase of this historic document at the 79th United Nations General Assembly Science Summit Brain Days in New York, the European Union Parliament in Brussels, and at the World Young Scientist Summit (with IBI Executive present) in China in 2024, constitute the take-off activities of this Working Group. The Yaoundé Declaration was followed by the Bern Declaration on Brain Health in 2025, and the working group looks forward next year to more such regional and national diplomatic instruments as they meet at the 2025 IBI Daegu Conference.
Recent Publications
Bassetti, C.L.A., Bègue, I., Chen, C., Manes, F., Leonardi, M., Njamnshi, A. K. on behalf of the International Alliance on Brain Health (2025). The Bern Declaration on Brain Health: a decalogue to launch an international alliance. The Lancet Neurology. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(25)00286-8/fulltext
Njamnshi, A. K., Ndongo, J. F., Ngoh, F. N., Mbella, L. M., Ghogomu, P. M., Fouda, S. M., Obama, M. a. O., Tchuinte, M., Mey, A. O., Manaouda, M., Assomo, J. B., Sadi, R. E., Motaze, L., Nganou, E. D., Likeng, M. L. L., Lyonga, P. N., Ngoa, L. S. E., Foutsou, M., Kombi, N. M., . . . Eyre, H. A. (2025). African leadership in brain diplomacy: The Yaoundé declaration advances the global brain economy playbook for better brain Health. Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.04.032
Engaging on the World Stage
The UNESCO House in Paris hosted a landmark international neurodiplomatic gathering that placed brain health at the center of the global scientific and policy agenda. The World Brain Health Forum, co-organized by the Paris Brain Institute and the Vascular Brain Health Institute, brought together world leaders, senior policymakers, representatives of international organizations, and leading scientists, including IBI Neurodiplomacy Working Group’s Lead, Dr. Alfred K. Njamnshi, to address one of the most pressing challenges of our time: protecting, promoting, and providing brain health across the lifespan in an increasingly complex world.
Neurodiplomacy: Global leaders convene at the UNESCO House to advance brain health as a 21st-century priority
