Foreign graduates of BSMU don’t forget their native university

In the frameworks of the International Association of Graduates of Higher Education Institutions of the Republic of Belarus, there was created the Association of Foreign Graduates of BSMU/MGMI on the basis of the Belarusian State Medical University, which has been functioning for more than 25 years. Today, it unites more than 2,000 doctors from 101 countries of the world.

For many of them, studying at BSMU (MGMI) has become the key to a successful career. Thus, among our outstanding graduates are ministers, ambassadors, leading specialists from countries and regions, WHO consultants, heads of health departments, directors of clinics, professors, associate professors, heads of departments in leading medical universities and clinics in many countries of Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, Canada and the USA.

Graduates of BSMU/MGMI are our treasure, a source of our pride. A diploma of Belarusian State Medical University is not only recognized in many countries around the world, but also serves as a reliable recommendation for its holder. They know and value the diploma of BSMU/MGMI thanks to our graduates. The success of graduates helps to raise the prestige of the university. Our graduates confirm the quality of education in Belarus with their daily work. Occupying key positions in healthcare, preserving and enhancing the traditions of Alma Mater, they created a united community, which is constantly joined by new forces.

International cooperation in the field of science and education is one of the priority areas of activity of BSMU. The University is an associate member of the International Association of University Graduates, the International Association of Higher Medical Education, the European Association of Medical Schools (AMSE), cooperates with WHO, the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), and participates in many international research programs and projects (TEMPUS, TASIS, etc.).

Today, BSMU is a major educational and scientific center, enjoying well-deserved authority among Belarusian and foreign universities.

The BSMU Alumni Association is a coherent organism that unites graduates both on the basis of professional communication and through common interests and hobbies.

The purpose of the Association is to create favorable conditions for the further development of BSMU as an international center of education, science and culture; holding international scientific and practical conferences and anniversary meetings of graduates; promoting retraining and advanced training of personnel, continuing the formation of a labor dynasty of doctors, as well as attracting talented young people to study at BSMU.

The graduates keep fond memories of Minsk Medical Institute (now BSMU), of their student years, and speak with warmth and gratitude about their lecturers, their high professionalism, and the deep knowledge that foreign students receive at our university. This is confirmed by the constant visits of our graduates to their home university.

The new academic year has just begun, and the Department of Belarusian and Russian Languages ​​has already held meetings with Amin El Sayed Ali, a graduate of Belarusian State Medical University MFIU (specialty - general medicine, 2018) from Lebanon, a chief physician of the Lebanese-French hospital in the city of Zahle and Kerimov Allanur Azimovich, a graduate of Belarusian State Medical University MFIU (specialization – dentistry, 2015) from Turkmenistan, a dentist-orthopedist of the city dental clinic No. 8 of Minsk.

And on the eve of the academic year, there were held meetings with Dr. Nswemu Kaggwa Michael, a graduate of Moscow State Medical University/BSMU (specialty - general medicine, 1988) from Uganda, a therapist, and Farhad Muhammad Hamoudi, a graduate of Belarusian State Medical University MFIU (specialty - general medicine, 2011) from Lebanon, who works as a cardiologist in clinics in Germany and Spain. And on the eve of the academic year, there were held meetings with Dr. Nswemu Kaggwa Michael, a graduate of Moscow State Medical University/BSMU (specialty - general medicine, 1988) from Uganda, a therapist, and Farhad Muhammad Hamoudi, a graduate of Belarusian State Medical University MFIU (specialty - general medicine, 2011) from Lebanon, who works as a cardiologist in clinics in Germany and Spain.

Each of these graduates has an interesting path to the profession, each of them has put a lot of effort to confirm their diploma, pass exams and achieve a worthy position and status in medicine.

At a meeting with lecturers and students of BSMU, they shared their memories of their studies, participation in the public life of the university, the faculty and department of Belarusian and Russian languages. They talked about their classmates and lecturers who left the greatest mark on their hearts, and remembered with love and gratitude the kind attitude of Belarusians towards them. They expressed their admiration for today's Minsk, which Kaggwa Michael had not visited for 37 years, Farhad for 14, Allanur for 10, and Sayed Ali for 7. There were many memories of life in their native dormitory No. 5, how they lived together with Belarusian students.

Allanur Kerimov recalled traveling concerts in the cities of Belarus with the international choir "Dominanta", in which he was a soloist and sang in the group for 5 years. And now he has established himself as a doctor, he has a family with two children. And this year the doctor decided to return to Minsk with his family. He works as a dentist-orthopedist in the 8th polyclinic of Minsk and brought his brother to study at BSMU.

In a conversation with the department's lecturers, Farhad Muhammad Hamudi said that he remembers with gratitude his native university, lecturers, the city of Minsk, Belarus, as here he received solid and deep knowledge and the excellent profession of a doctor. He talked about how studying in the Republic of Belarus, along with the professional skills he acquired, gave him the opportunity to truly understand our country, to get to know its history and culture more deeply, to make friends, and also about how he maintains good feelings for our country.

Dr. Nswemu Kaggwa Michael said he is now retired but provides private consultations. He expressed deep gratitude to the entire faculty of BSMU and shared that he really wants to find his classmates.

Ali Amin El Sayed said that after graduating from BSMU in 2018, he moved to Lebanon. From 2018 to 2019, he was a resident at the Lebanese-French Hospital as a general practitioner, in 2019 he passed the exam and received a doctor's license in the Republic of Lebanon, and also joined the Lebanese Doctors Association. From 2019 to 2022, he worked as an admissions physician in two hospitals. From 2022 to 2024, he was appointed Head of the Admissions Department at the Lebanese-French Hospital. In 2023, he opened a private office as a general practitioner, minor surgeon and emergency care physician for adults and children from 3 years of age. And on the 1^st of January, 2025, he was promoted to the position of a chief physician of the Lebanese-French Hospital in the city of Zahle.

By the way, our graduate, a representative of a whole family dynasty of doctors, Fraji Assad, a graduate (1987) of Belarusian State Medical University (diploma with honors), Candidate of Medical Sciences, a neurosurgeon, and head of the neurosurgical department of the clinic, works in the same city. His son Antoine Fraji, a graduate of Belarusian State Medical University, is a cardiologist at the Republican Scientific and Practical Center for Cardiology. His daughter Stefania Fraji is an endocrinologist and a graduate of Belarusian State Medical University. Fraji Assada's wife is a resuscitator and anesthesiologist, and she is also a graduate of Belarusian State Medical University. And we already have many such dynasties. In addition, one of Fraji Assad's twins graduated from the Minsk Suvorov Military School.

And recently one of our doctors, as a tourist, found himself in Angola, where he met with the director of the leading cardiology hospital in the city of Luanda, Albert Maseka, a graduate (1994) of the Belarusian State Medical University/Moscow State Medical Institute, who until recently was the deputy minister of health of Angola. During the conversation, he admitted that he remembers and is very proud that he is a graduate of Belarusian State Medical University.

Every year the ranks of the Association are replenished with new graduates of BSMU.

All this, of course, contributes to strengthening of friendship, cooperation and mutual understanding between peoples, and increasing the authority of Belarusian State Medical University in the international arena.

Author: Alla Sharapa, Chairman of the Association of Foreign Graduates of BSMU