A bilateral cooperation agreement was signed between the Faculty of Medicine of Vilnius University (VU MF), Lithuania and the International Higher School of Medicine (IHSM) at the end of April 2023.

According to Prof. Istomina, VU MF, this is the first such agreement with a university in Kyrgyzstan. “In the past, we actively cooperated with Kazakhstan with an aim to improve their healthcare system. Now Kazakhstan, in line with EU directives, is rapidly improving in the training of doctors, nurses and other health professionals. Other countries in the Middle East, such as Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, have also expressed their wish to follow Kazakhstan’s path in the development of medicine, nursing and public health sciences. These countries are striving to follow European directives to achieve high quality in medical education and practice,” the professor noted.

Asel A.Usenova Vice-Rector for academic affairs of the IHSM, Ph.D.(Medicine), Assoc. Professor and Elena Kim, Professor, were invited to visit VU MF. “During the visit, they discussed the possibility of student exchanges for internships, the prospect of reciprocal exchanges for lecturers, and cooperation in the field of medical studies and research projects. The primary goal of the cooperation was providing help from VU rehabilitation specialists – rehabilitation doctors, physiotherapists and occupational therapists – in development of a rehabilitation system in Kyrgyzstan.