International consortium

Four universities from Russia and Kazakhstan have created an international consortium.

The international union, created on the initiative of Kazan State Medical University named after S.V. Kurashov, includes the North-Western State Medical University named after I.I. Mechnikov (St. Petersburg, Russian Federation), Karaganda Medical University (Republic of Kazakhstan), Semey Medical University (Republic of Kazakhstan).

On February 15, 2023, the board meeting of the consortium council on the realization of “Design and implementation of an integrated educational program” project was held. The presentations were made online by Laysan Mukharyamova, First Vice-Rector of Kazan State Medical University, Viktor Riklefs, Vice-Rector for Strategic Development and International Cooperation of Karaganda Medical University and Zakhar Lopatin, Head of the Educational Department of the North-Western State Medical University named after I.I. Mechnikov.

Laysan Mukharyamova, First Vice-Rector of KSMU noted: “This first meeting is the beginning of productive co-work. Our consortium will allow sharing each university’s best practices and create a synergistic effect that will help to develop new innovative training programs as efficiently as possible”.

Continuing her speech, Laysan Mukharyamova told that in 2023 KSMU, within the University Development Program and the implementation of the strategic academic leadership program “Priority 2030”, began to implement the integrated program for one group of 3 year students studying in English.

Laysan Mukharyamova emphasized: “The implementation of the program is based on a problem-oriented approach and carried out according to the principles of “early clinical inclusion” and teamwork “living and learning community” (we study and live together), when all students included in the project live in one dorm, they are provided with a special classroom for teamwork during extra-curricular time.”

During the meeting, Viktor Riklefs, Vice-Rector for Strategic Development and International Cooperation of Karaganda Medical University and Zhanargul Smailova, Vice Chairman of the Board for Academic and Educational Work of Semey Medical University, told about their universities’ experience in the development and implementation of integrated educational programs.

In the 2019-2020 academic year Kazakhstan switched to new standards of medical education, including the implementation of integrated programs. In this program internship and Master's degree are introduced in a unified 6-year basic education program (instead of the current program “5 (Bachelor's degree) + 2 (internship)”. At the end of 6 years, a university graduate will be awarded a diploma of higher education MD/+MSc, which means the award of Master's degree and a doctor's qualification.

Zakhar Lopatin, Head of the Educational Department of the North-Western State Medical University named after I.I. Mechnikov, dedicated his speech to analysis of the Russian medical education system’s readiness to implement integrated programs to mass training of doctors.

The participants of the board meeting outlined the consortium's work plans, including the work on the creation of textbooks and teaching materials, the organization of joint conferences, academic mobility of teachers.