At the beginning of September, Scott McCoombe, Sub-Dean International, Head of International Medical Education and Associate Dean (Global) at the Medical School of the University of Western Australia (UWA) visited Med Uni Graz. Med Uni Graz and UWA have been cooperating since the end of 2023 in the context of student exchanges for clinical rotations abroad and the visit was used to establish new contacts for cooperation in teaching and research. The program included an exchange with Freyja Smolle-Jüttner on the topic of sustainability, global health and climate change and with Regina Roller-Wirnsberger on the topic of medical education with a focus on global health. Vice Rector Erwin Petek welcomed the guest from Perth on behalf of the rectorate. Scott McCoombe also took the time to meet Med Uni Graz students who will be studying abroad at UWA in the coming months, and the best possible implementation of the student exchange program was discussed with staff from the International Office. A guided tour of the ZWT, the University Hospital Graz and the campus provided further insights into the Medical University of Graz.
At the end of September, the International Office welcomed Anna Creery, International Learning & Partnerships Manager at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western University in Canada, to Graz. The aim of the visit was to get to know the programs offered by Med Uni Graz for students of Western University, with whom a cooperation agreement for student exchange and research cooperation was signed in 2021. Lars Kamolz from the Division of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery presented his division with a focus on the opportunities for international students, as this division is very popular with students from Western University. During a tour, Anna Creery was also able to learn more about the facilitates on site. During an appointment with Sebastian Bauchinger from the Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, details were discussed about the Educational Courses in Pediatric Medicine, which are offered twice a year and provide international students with theoretical and practical insights into pediatric medicine through a combination of clinical rotations, lectures, research presentations and case discussions. In addition, Veronika Perz gave a tour of the biobank and Anna Creery visited the OeAD guest house, a popular accommodation option for incoming students, and took part in a guided tour of the city of Graz.
In October, Youness Chikhaoui, Regional Director of Health and Chairman of the Cheikh Zaid Fondation's (CZF) Medical Committee, Mohamed Belmekki, Medical Director of the Hôpital Universitaire International Cheikh Zaid de Rabat (HUICZ), Sanaa Sefiani from the Health Strategic Division of HUICZ and Kawtar Megdiche, Director of partnerships and international relations of CZF — four representatives of the Université Internationale Abulcasis des Sciences de la Santé (UIASS) and the Cheikh Zaid Fondation in Morocco — visited Med Uni Graz. The Cheikh Zaid Fondation is currently building a new hospital for psychiatry and used the visit for a valuable exchange of experiences with Eva Reininghaus and her team from the Division of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine. The visit also included an exchange with Jutta Horwath-Winter and Andreas Wedrich from the Department of Ophthalmology, who had already been in contact with UIASS on the subject of research cooperation and had visited UIASS the previous year. In addition, an appointment was held with Peter Schlenke, Konrad Rosskopf, Simone Klinger and Teresa Hofer from the Department of Blood Group Serology and Transfusion Medicine on special request, in which the tissue bank, a collaboration with the Department of Ophthalmology, Obstetrics and Gynecology and Plastic Surgery, was presented. The focus there is on the procurement and preparation of tissues such as cornea, sclera, amniotic membrane and skin.
At the end of November, Vice Dean Martina Smolić, Marinka Mravak Stipetic, Vice Dean and Head of Department of Dental Medicine, and Robert Smolić, gastroenterologist, from the Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Croatia, visited our university and the University Hospital Graz. This visit was initiated by Emina Talakić, Deputy Head of the Division of General Radiology, who has been working with this university for years in the form of joint research projects focusing on radiological diagnostics and imaging procedures. The delegation was welcomed by Vice Rector Christian Enzinger, who gave a general overview of Med Uni Graz and confirmed his support for collaborative research projects. The colleagues were also welcomed by Peter Fickert, Head of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, and Norbert Jakse, Head of the Department of Dental Medicine and Oral Health who introduced their Departments/Divisions. During the two meetings, potential collaboration opportunities were explored.
The International Office would like to thank everyone involved for their time and willingness and looks forward to further cooperation with the partner universities.
