NEWS

In the period 24-28 March 2025, lecturers from the Faculty of Public Health "Prof. Tzecomir Vodenitcharov, MD, DSc" and lecturers from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the Medical University - Sofia, visited the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Republic of South Africa within the framework of a teaching mobility under the Erasmus+ program. KwaZulu-Natal is a public research university, founded in 2004, with a complex organizational structure, including five campuses and four colleges. Each of the colleges unites several faculties with different academic focus.

During the five-day stay, visits were made to the College of Health Sciences, which includes the following academic units: Department of Clinical Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, Department of Health Sciences and Department of Nursing and Public Health. During a meeting with the university management, the structure of the institution, the academic staff and the available material and technical base of KwaZulu-Natal were presented. Contacts were established with lecturers from different departments with a view to future joint initiatives in the field of teaching and research.

Representatives of the Medical University of Sofia introduced the hosts to the activities, academic structure and scientific output of their institution. The possibilities for expanding international academic cooperation between the two higher education institutions were discussed in detail.

A special emphasis during the visit was placed on the prospects for joint training and exchange of experience in the field of digital healthcare. The experience of both institutions in this rapidly developing field was presented.

The faculty also participated in a discussion forum dedicated to World Tuberculosis Day – March 24. The disease remains a leading cause of death in South Africa, with efforts to curb it hampered by existing social inequalities, an insufficiently effective health system and the lack of universal health coverage. The forum brought together a number of faculty, clinical medicine students, nurses and public health professionals who shared personal experiences and expressed deep concern about the current situation in the country.

Within the framework of the mobility, a lecture activity was implemented: lecturers from the Faculty of Public Health "Prof. Tzecomir Vodenitcharov, MD, DSc" delivered a series of lectures to students from the Department of Clinical Medicine, Department of Nursing and Department of Public Health. The topics of the lectures reflected current challenges and were received with high interest by the student audience, provoking active discussions.