The key point of the program was a meeting with the leadership of the Medical Faculty of University of East Sarajevo. Representatives of the university demonstrated openness and interest in the development of academic relations. The parties discussed the implementation of the Visiting Professor program within the framework of academic mobility for faculty, as well as the expansion of student exchanges. The partners showed particular interest in online educational programs — they are ready for a detailed discussion of their implementation. In the scientific field, joint projects in the field of biomedicine and pharmacology are planned, as well as the preparation of joint publications. In addition, University of East Sarajevo has expressed interest in acquiring the Medical Atlas Web Application. During the meeting, the parties exchanged copies of the Memorandum of Understanding.
An important part of the visit was working at the Zlatibor Edu Forum, which attracted more than 500 visitors from 15 countries. There were many applicants among the guests who were fluent in Russian. PRMU was the only university from Russia at the exhibition, which certainly attracted the attention of not only applicants, but also partners. During the event, our colleague managed to establish contacts with representatives of universities in Slovenia and Serbia.
The main purpose of the trip was to visit the BalkanEduExpo educational exhibition in Belgrade. 60 exhibitors were represented at the event, of which 4 universities were from the Russian Federation, among which PRMU stood out as the only medical university. The exhibition has the widest coverage – more than 15,000 visitors, including about 7,000 high school students.
Special attention was paid to cooperation with the Russian House in Belgrade, which works not only with Serbia, but also with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republika Srpska and Macedonia. During the meeting, a number of initiatives were proposed to optimize collaboration: holding events at the site of the Russian House, online counseling for applicants on admission issues, as well as searching for schools interested in a project to open medical classes abroad. The partners also expressed their willingness to involve medical colleges in participating in interactive events of PRMU organized on the basis of the Russian House. International Affairs Department is already working with colleagues from Cyril and Methodius University (North Macedonia), and a Memorandum of Understanding is planned to be signed in the near future.
Thus, the visit allowed not only to strengthen existing ties, but also to form a pool of new projects aimed at expanding the international presence of PRMU and developing scientific and educational cooperation in the region.