Within the framework of international collaboration of Belarusian State Medical University, the Department of Cardiology and Internal Diseases has been actively cooperating with various international organizations for many years: University of Western Ontario, London (Canada), Faculty of Medicine; Akita University (Japan); Karolinska University, Stockholm (Sweden); Kazakh Asfendiyarov National Medical University; Research Institute of Cardiology and Internal Diseases of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan; the Republican Specialized Research and Practical Medical Center for Therapy and Medical Rehabilitation of Uzbekistan; Bogomolets National Medical University (Ukraine); Tomsk National Research Medical Center with its affiliated Tyumen Cardiocenter. Such close and friendly interaction allows the staff members of the department to undergo regular training at the premises of these institutions, which promotes exchange of scientific and practical experience, discussion of the prospects for the development of the main directions of modern therapeutic and diagnostic methods in cardiology and therapy.
UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIO (CANADA)
Cooperation between Belarusian State Medical University and the University of Western Ontario (Canada) has a 20-year history. A key role in its development is played by the coordinator of the cooperation program, Honorary Doctor of BSMU, Professor Charles Ruud – on behalf of the University of Western Ontario and Head of the Department of Cardiology and Internal Diseases|, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor N. P. Mitkovskaya – on behalf of Belarusian State Medical University.
The University of Western Ontario, located in London, Ontario, Canada, is a state teaching and research center with a large number of students. The University was founded in 1878 by a bishop of the Church of England and a school of theology. The University currently offers more than 200 undergraduate and postgraduate programs at 12 faculties and three colleges. The University has 34,000 full-time and part-time students. The University covers an area of 395 acres (1.6 sq km) on the north bank of the River Thames.
The history of cooperation between Belarusian State Medical University and the University of Western Ontario (Canada) includes numerous surgical interventions performed at the Research and Practical Center of Cardiology, at the City Center of Interventional Technologies based at the 1st City Clinical Hospital of Minsk, at the Republican Clinical Center of the Office of the President of the Republic of Belarus, in Grodno Regional Hospital, in Gomel Cardiology Dispensary; lectures delivered in each hospital, conferences of city and national scale organized in Minsk and Gomel, internships of Belarusian doctors at the University of Western Ohio. All these years, along with Professor Ruud, Dr. Patrick Teefy remained a constant participant and one of the organizers of the cardiology cooperation, who involved his teachers, Dr. Jones and Professor Kostyuk, as well as nurses and X-ray technicians, who generously shared their experience with Belarusian specialists.
KAUNAS MEDICAL UNIVERSITY
Kaunas Medical University (lit: Kauno medicinos universitetas (KMU); www.kmu.lt) was founded in 1919. In 1922, the university has opened a medical faculty. In 1950, the University of Kaunas was transformed into Kaunas Medical Institute, as it was called until 1998.
KMU has 5 faculties: Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, Faculty of Pharmacology, Faculty of Nursing, Faculty of Public Health. The university has opened a clinic with 2,200 beds, which is the largest in Kaunas.
Cooperation with Kaunas Medical University (Lithuania) contributes to the expansion of research horizons, the introduction of modern technologies and innovative approaches into practical medicine.
AKITA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (JAPAN)
For more than 20 years, Belarusian State Medical University and the University of Akita (Japan) have been developing successful collaboration. During this period, more than 80 doctors of various specialties have been trained at the university clinic in Akita. In various years, many employees of the Department of Cardiology and Internal Diseases had the opportunity to undergo internships: Head of the Department of Cardiology and Internal Diseases, MD, Professor N. P. Mitkovskaya, PhD, Professor of the Department E. A. Grigorenko, PhD, Associate Professor T. V. Statkevich, E. V. Moklaya, as well as residents of the department and graduates of BSMU: A. F. Pinchuk, MD. Pilipchuk, A. B. Piskun, R. V. Shilo.
International cooperation between Belarusian State Medical University and the University of Akita, as well as the society “Japan-Republic of Belarus” is carried out in the following areas:
- Joint research work with Akita University School of Medicine (study of pulse wave, rheological properties of blood and plasma, immunoenzyme parameters, structural and functional state of the cardiovascular system);
- Improving the level of practical skills of the teaching staff at the departments of Akita University Hospital (annual internship of employees of clinical departments and graduate students of BSMU at therapeutic departments, mastering instrumental research methods with the possibility of obtaining international certificates);
- Exchange of scientific and practical information: reports at conferences, presentations of foreign lecturers in clinical hospitals, joint publications in national and foreign journals, co-authorship in monographs and educational and methodological recommendations;
- The use of experimental material and the results of clinical studies for preparation and defense of dissertations;
- Humanitarian assistance: provision of clinical equipment (defibrillator, echocardiograph, enzyme immunoassay) and supplies;
- Cultural exchange between the countries.
Within the framework of this cooperation, in the period from September 2017 to March 2018, graduates of the Department of Cardiology and Internal Diseases of BSMU, Alexandra Piskun and Roman Shilo, completed an internship.
Karolinska Institute
Stockholm Medical University Karolinska Institutet (Karolinska Institute) is recognized as the best university in Sweden, according to the latest international review. The study, conducted by Shanghai Jiao Tuch University (Shanghai J'iao Tuch University), put Karolinska Institute on the 51st place in the ranking of the best universities in the world.
The Department of Cardiology and Internal Medicine is also actively cooperating with the Karolinska Institute (Sweden). The basis of cooperation is the joint research project “Professional Training Program for researchers”. Every year teachers of Karolinska Institute deliver lectures to the faculty and students of BSMU, conduct master classes, trainings, and seminars.
Within the framework of international cooperation with Karolinska University, Belarusian-Swedish trainings are held with the participation of our department together with the staff of Karolinska University (Stockholm, Sweden). Since 2017, training courses are held annually, allowing all employees of the department, as well as all interested colleagues from other universities to improve their skills on various topics: methods of processing scientific data by the Statistica program, use of international databases of publications, etc.
Tomsk National Research Medical Center. Tyumen Cardiology Center
In November 2018, thanks to the agreement on scientific cooperation between Belarusian State Medical University and Tomsk National Research Medical Center with its affiliated branch of Tyumen Cardiology Center, one of the leading staff members of the Department of Cardiology and Internal Diseases Grigorenko Elena Aleksandrovna, PhD, Associate Professor and Statkevich Tatyana Vasilyevna, PhD, Associate Professor had the opportunity to undergo an internship at the cardiology center and exchange experience with colleagues on the most relevant and controversial issues of modern cardiology.
