A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Yerevan State Medical University named after Mkhitar Heratsi and the leading pediatric hospital in Los Angeles, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA).
The main purpose of the meeting was to strengthen the established cooperation at the institutional level by signing a Memorandum of Understanding, as well as to discuss the next stages of cooperation, with a particular focus on the development of pediatric education.
In particular, the visit of five students from the YSMU School of Pediatrics to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles has been confirmed for November 2026 (November 2–26).
The visit is planned as an educational and professional experience, providing the students with an opportunity to become familiar with the clinical environment, professional approaches, and organization of pediatric education at one of the leading children’s hospitals in the United States.
In fact, the Memorandum of Understanding being signed is not the beginning of cooperation, but rather the formalization of an already established practical partnership.
YSMU Rector Armen Muradyan expressed his gratitude to the guests and participants for bringing the new format of cooperation to life, noting that its foundation was laid during his recent visit to the United States and that the cooperation continued under the coordination of Vice-Rector for Development and Marketing Khachatur Margaryan.
The Rector particularly emphasized the importance of the document being signed from the perspective of safeguarding children’s health, also presenting the partners with the achievements recorded by our country in various areas of pediatrics.
CHLA was viewed not merely as a partner in an individual program, but also as a long-term strategic partner in the development of pediatric education.
Informing the international partners about the Medical World Armenia Congress 2027 (AMWC 2027), which will take place in Yerevan from July 8 to 10 next year, the head of the Medical University emphasized the importance of the active participation of the hospital’s team. He noted that the congress, under his leadership, will also include contemporary professional topics in pediatrics.
Thomas Lee, Associate Director of the Ophthalmology Service of the Department of Surgery and Associate Director for Education at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, as well as Clinical Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (Keck School of Medicine of USC), noted that their hospital is located near Glendale, where there is a large Armenian community, and that in his practice he frequently encounters the management of diseases affecting patients of Armenian origin.
The participants noted that practical cooperation arrangements between the two institutions have already been established in the field of pediatric education.
Thus, the parties expressed their willingness to promote further cooperation in the field of pediatric education and explore opportunities for joint initiatives.
During the meeting, the development of the YSMU pediatric education program was also discussed.
Going forward, the systematic development of the pediatric education program is envisaged, with the involvement of CHLA’s experience and specialists.
It should be noted that Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is one of the leading pediatric academic medical centers in the United States, founded in 1901. The hospital specializes in providing a wide range of medical and surgical services for children, as well as conducting educational and research activities in the field of pediatrics.
Hundreds of specialized programs and services operate at the hospital, and numerous clinical studies are conducted.
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles has an extensive network of international partnerships and provides medical care to children arriving from various countries around the world, while simultaneously developing professional and scientific cooperation in different areas of pediatrics.