One of the priorities of the Yerevan State Medical University after Mkhitar Heratsi is the expansion of the educational network through the establishment of inter-university and intercultural communication frameworks. The World Health Organization recognizes YSMU as the only state medical university in the Republic of Armenia, which is included in the “World Directory of Medical Schools”.
The 100-year-old university has established close ties with medical universities in different countries, international health organizations in the fields of higher medical education and healthcare. The development and expansion of these ties is coordinated by the Department of International Cooperation. We talked to Anna Ghazaryan, the Head of the Department, about the peculiarities of the internationalization process, the inviolable principles of the Department’s activities, successful inter-university cooperation with different countries, and future programs.
– When was the Department of International Cooperation of the Medical University formed? What are its main goals and what problems does it solve?
– The Department of International Cooperation was established in 1987. It prepares draft agreements, agreements and memoranda of cooperation between the university's foreign higher education institutions, follows the process of their implementation, ensures the connection of YSMU with foreign educational institutions, embassies, international organizations. The official e-mail of the university is checked, and the correspondence is provided by the Department of International Cooperation. The process of conducting internships for foreign students and volunteers in university clinics is also organized by our Department. International credit mobility projects in the framework of “Erasmus+” program funded by the European Commission are implemented here.
– Are there any principles that guide the Department on the way to internationalization of the university?
– One of the inviolable principles of the Department is the exclusion of religious, ethnic and national discrimination, as well as giving maximum attention to foreign students so that they feel like full members of a large family of YSMU.
– With which universities the collaboration of YSMU is considered more important?
– We build every partnership through which our students will gain knowledge and our employees will gain professional development.
– Which countries and which universities does the medical university have effective cooperation with?
– Currently, the most active cooperation is carried out with the universities of Germany – Münster, Hanover, Magdeburg; France – Lyon, Creteil, Aix-Marcel-2.
I would like to highlight the long-standing collaboration with professors from the University of Münster in the field of oncology and public health, during which conferences were organized with the participation of highly qualified specialists from different clinics in Germany, interactive interdisciplinary discussions were held.
During the epidemic, online events were held at the same rate. Let's hope that in the new academic year we will be able to continue the traditions, and the university will again host delegations from our partner universities and clinics.
– What educational programs can you single out, within the framework of which YSMU students and staff have registered significant successes? In general, how many students and employees of the university have used the opportunity to train abroad?
– The Department of International Cooperation emphasizes the involvement of YSMU in the exchange projects implemented within the framework of the “Erasmus +” program, the effective participation of our students and faculty. Over the last 5 years, more than 40 students have received short-term and long-term internship opportunities at universities in Italy, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Greece, Spain, Germany and France, where they have made great progress. 13 employees of the university held lectures, 7 young specialists received postgraduate training and 26 employees received professional development. Within the framework of the program, the Medical university received lecturers from European universities. Unfortunately, the places allocated to Armenia are limited, and the program can not be effective for more students.
– What kind of new projects are expected in the near future?
– An educational project has been developed with the University of Côte d’Azur in France. Clinical and student exchange programs are being developed with the medical faculty of the University of Magdeburg, Germany, the representatives of which, meeting with our students in Yerevan, praised their excellent knowledge of German. A new cooperation with the universities of the Russian Federation is also envisaged.
Author: Tatevik Ghazaryan