On July 23, 2024, Professor Viacheslav Zhdan, the Rector of Poltava State Medical University, discussed crucial aspects of scientific cooperation with a delegation from the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) GmbH during a business meeting. The meeting focused on the Hospital Partnerships Program "Partnerships for Health," and its Program Director, Dr. Anselm Schneider, shared his vision for establishing a university clinic in Ukraine, particularly in Poltava, based on the work of German university clinics. As the M. Sklifosovsky Poltava Regional Clinical Hospital and Poltava State Medical University are actively collaborating in this direction, the experience of the German colleagues could be very beneficial.
"Out of the 53 university departments, 48 are clinical! And they are all based in clinics, forming one powerful team of both scientists and practitioners," Rector Viacheslav Zhdan told the German colleagues, highlighting the conditions that currently support the implementation of the progressive idea of a university clinic.
"Our region has always leaned towards the German system, and we are one of the few where the two-tier German system of scientific training, namely the defense and attainment of PhD and Doctor of Science degrees, has been preserved. This system, initially modeled after the German system, diverged somewhat during the Soviet Union era," noted Professor Igor Kaidashev, Vice-Rector for Research. "Therefore, it is very natural today to return to the models of German scientific and practical education!"
Dr. Anselm Schneider, Program Director of the Hospital Partnerships Program "Partnerships for Health" at the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) GmbH, emphasized the importance of collective and team work. "We can already see today how a multi-layered partnership is forming between us," he said. "We are all very different, but we are colleagues and successfully cooperate! We are pleased that the German system can inspire you to emulate the best practices that it has developed. If you have come to such a decision, we are ready to actively assist you in resolving important issues!"
At the end of the meeting, a traditional commemorative photo was taken, symbolizing the beginning of a long and fruitful cooperation that will lead to the realization of the long-awaited project of creating a university clinic in the Poltava region.
