NEWS

During the period 8–12 June 2026, faculty members from the Faculty of Public Health „Prof. Tzecomir Vodenitcharov, MD, DSc“ at the Medical University – Sofia carried out a teaching mobility under the Erasmus+ Programme (KA171 Action).

Prof. Petya Trendafilova, PhD (Department of Health Care) and Assoc. Prof. Svetoslav Garov, MD, PhD (Department of Health Technology Assessment) visited the prestigious Airlangga University in Surabaya, Indonesia.

Over the course of the five working days, the delegation completed an exceptionally intensive, productive, and academically rich programme.

The Bulgarian faculty members delivered lectures to students from three major units of the Indonesian university: the Faculty of Public Health, the Faculty of Pharmacy, and the European Centre. The lectures addressed the topics: „Mental Health Under Pressure: The Impact of Macro Trends and the Erosion of Social Capital – Building Resilience in the Context of the Second Victim Syndrome“ and „Patient Safety in Healthcare Systems: Risks, Reporting, and Prevention Strategies“. The lectures attracted considerable interest and concluded with engaging panel discussions, during which students and faculty debated a wide range of current global and regional public health issues.

During the visit, Bulgaria, the achievements of the Medical University – Sofia, and particularly the scientific and educational capacity of the Faculty of Public Health, were officially presented.

The representatives of the Faculty of Public Health also had the opportunity to visit four of Airlangga University's leading faculties:

• Faculty of Public Health
• Faculty of Nursing
• Faculty of Pharmacy
• Faculty of Dental medicine

These visits provided first-hand insight into the organisation of the educational process and the modern teaching methods employed at the university. The Bulgarian academics also held informal discussions with students studying at these faculties. As part of the mobility programme, extensive meetings were held with the leadership of all four faculties. The discussions focused on concrete opportunities for long-term cooperation, including:

• Joint scientific research, collaborative publications, and research projects;
• Bilateral exchange of students, doctoral candidates, and academic staff;
• Partnership in the development of innovative educational programmes.

A key meeting was also held with the leadership of the European Centre at Airlangga University, whose primary mission is to strengthen cooperation with European Union countries in the field of higher education. As a direct result of the productive dialogue and active collaboration, Airlangga University has already launched a call for three academic staff members to visit the Medical University – Sofia under the Erasmus+ Programme.

The visit of the two representatives from the Medical University – Sofia was the university's first academic mobility to Indonesia. It marks an important milestone in expanding the international partnerships of both the Faculty of Public Health and the Medical University – Sofia throughout the Asian region, while further demonstrating the strong international reputation of Bulgarian medical education.