On November 5, Shupyk National University of Healthcare of Ukraine signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Ukrainian Military Medical Academy (UMMA), the Polish Fundacja Rozwoju Regionów, and the Polish manufacturer of medical instruments and materials, Enforce, along with its representative in Ukraine, Enforce Ukraine Medical Technologies LLC.
Piotr Łukasiewicz, the Charge d'Affaires of the Republic of Poland in Ukraine, attended the signing ceremony. He welcomed the participants, expressed strong support for Ukraine in its courageous struggle against Russian military aggression, and wished success in efforts to save lives and preserve the health of both military personnel and civilians.
An agreement has been established to enhance and develop cooperation in educational activities aimed at training prosthetists and orthotics. This initiative is part of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine's flagship project, “Development of the Rehabilitation Care System.” This project aligns with the National Strategy for Creating a Barrier-Free Space in Ukraine, which was initiated by First Lady Olena Zelenska, and focuses on improving the skills of rehabilitation specialists.
Rector Vyacheslav Kaminsky signed the Memorandum on behalf of Shupyk National University of Healthcare of Ukraine.
“Prosthetics and orthotics are crucial areas for Ukraine nowadays, as our healthcare system needs more experienced doctors who specialize in these fields. We are greatly thankful to the Republic of Poland, our friends and partners, for their support. I believe that the document we have signed today will serve as a small foundation in the collective effort we are undertaking to build a future where we all live as part of a unified and prosperous Europe, of which Ukraine will be an integral part,” the rector said.
“Our engineering achievements in the field of rehabilitation can help your veterans take their new first steps, and make them as easy as possible. We look forward to fruitful cooperation that will lead us to victory together,” said Adam Gramala, representative of ENForce Medical Technologies.
Andriy Shvets, Deputy Head of the Ukrainian Military Medical Academy for Scientific Work, Colonel of the Medical Service, noted that the signing of such a memorandum is a significant event. “First, our overseas colleagues from the United States helped us with rehabilitation, then our British colleagues with their Renovator program, and now our closest neighbours want to help. It is not a secret that the first specialists of our UVMA studied and underwent specialization at Shupyk National University of Healthcare of Ukraine. Now they are at the source of our military rehabilitation,” he noted.
Oleksiy Bobkov, Enforce representative in Ukraine, noted that a prerequisite for the transfer of modern medical rehabilitation technologies to Ukraine is the development of training programs and effective cooperation with higher medical education institutions. “Thanks to SNHUU, we will be able to involve experienced doctors in the implementation of educational programs, and thanks to the UVMA, we will be able to involve cadets. Thus, we will have a full cycle of training specialists for our country. And if we create new educational programs, it will be beneficial not only for Ukraine,” Oleksiy Bobkov expressed confidence.
Oleksandr Tolstanov, Vice-Rector for Scientific and Pedagogical Work, Chairman of the Academic Council of the University, emphasized that Shupyk National University of Healthcare of Ukraine is one of the three higher medical education institutions that have received a license to train higher education students at the second (master's) level in the specialty 224 Technologies of Medical Diagnostics and Treatment, specialization 224.02 Prosthetics and Orthotics.
The memorandum concluded between the Ukrainian and Polish representatives provides for:
1) adaptation of curricula and updating of training courses to reflect current trends and technologies in prosthetics, orthotics and rehabilitation;
2) introduction of the latest technologies and methods into the educational process, including the use of virtual reality and simulation, to improve students' practical skills;
3) regular exchange of information on research results to improve the quality of education and research;
4) participation in international projects and programs that facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experience, in particular within the framework of European educational initiatives.
After the official signing of the memorandum, the guests visited the Andrii Tkachenko Training and Production Center for Simulation Methods of Education at the University and the UNICEF Training and Resource Center "School of Parenting."
