The VIII International Conference on Medical Education is taking place in Baku

On October 9, the opening ceremony of the VIII International Conference on Medical Education (ICME) took place in Baku. The event was organized jointly by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijan Medical University and the Ripah International University of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The conference is attended by leading experts in the field of medical education, including about 300 foreign guests from more than 20 countries.
The conference began with the performance of the National Anthem of Azerbaijan.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the VIII International Conference on Medical Education, Minister of Health Teymur Musayev welcomed the guests of the event and expressed gratitude to the World Federation of Medical Education for their support in organizing the event in the Republic of Azerbaijan. The minister noted that 2023 is marked by the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the great leader Heydar Aliyev, a brilliant political figure, founder and architect of independent Azerbaijan: “During the years of Heydar Aliyev’s leadership, the training of medical personnel, as well as medical scientists, was carried out and accelerated in Azerbaijan, new ones were opened scientific centers, international conferences and forums were held in various areas of medical science.”
“The strategic approach to training national personnel continues successfully during the presidency of Ilham Aliyev. In 2007-2015, within the framework of the state education program, thousands of young Azerbaijanis received the opportunity to study in priority areas abroad. The successful results of the state program served as the basis for the implementation of the next doctoral program abroad for 2019-2023 by the relevant order of President Ilham Aliyev,” added Teymur Musayev.

Regarding the issue of medical education in our country, the minister noted that the Azerbaijan Medical University is an ancient university that occupies a key place in higher medical education in our country. The university trains highly qualified medical personnel for healthcare institutions, thereby making an important contribution to the protection of public health and the progress of medical science. The educational programs of the Azerbaijan Medical University have passed international accreditation: “Currently, the country is training doctors in 56 specialties. AMU trains highly qualified personnel for the country's healthcare institutions. In recent years, several specialties have been adopted in order to adapt medical education to global standards.”

“In order to improve medical education in the Republic of Azerbaijan and expand relations with prestigious higher medical educational institutions of the world, the Baku branch of the First Moscow State Medical University named after Sechenov was created by the Decree of President Ilham Aliyev in 2015. The Azerbaijan State Institute of Doctors named after Aziz Aliyev is a postgraduate educational institution that provides advanced training and retraining of personnel in accordance with the current level of technical progress,” the minister emphasized.
Teymur Musayev said that the serious health tests during the pandemic that humanity has recently undergone necessitate a new approach in medical education: “With the introduction of digital tools, the use of online educational platforms has expanded. Given that online education will continue to expand, there is a need to define global, uniform accreditation criteria, especially in the field of continuing medical education.”
In conclusion, the minister expressed confidence that the event will be productive, will address current issues related to future directions of medical education and wished success to the conference.
The Minister of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Emin Amrullayev, who spoke at the event, welcomed the conference participants and spoke about the importance of medical education in solving strategic issues of the country and protecting public health: “Observations show that school graduates with high results in the country choose to receive higher education in the future sphere of medicine. As a result of this, a highly qualified class of doctors is being formed in Azerbaijan. " Emin Amrullayev said that there are universities in the republic that provide medical education at a modern level, and emphasized the importance of further expanding the geography of such educational institutions throughout the country.

Rector of the Azerbaijan Medical University, Professor Geray Garaybeyli, emphasized that such a prestigious event in the field of medical education is held in the year of national leader Heydar Aliyev. According to him, the Baku Congress will serve as a platform for the exchange of innovative ideas, best practices and the latest achievements in the field of medical education: “The Congress provides an opportunity to reflect on our role as teachers and students, as well as the improvement and development of medical education.”

President of the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME), Professor Ricardo Leon-Borques noted that the first ICME conference, held in Baku, aims to provide a stable platform for mutual cooperation between world-renowned experts in the field of medical education. The guest noted that this event opens up opportunities for the exchange of knowledge and experience and establishes cooperation with representatives of different countries.
President of the Ras Al Khaimah University of Medicine and Health Sciences of the United Arab Emirates, Professor Ismail Ibrahim Matalka, said that the conference is important in terms of informing the medical community about innovations in the field of medical education and sharing experiences.
The rector of the Rif International University Hassan Muhammad Khan, the rector of the United Arab Emirates Gulf University, Professor Hossam Hamdini, and the President of the International Conference on Medical Education, Professor Azhar Rashid, also spoke about the goals and importance of the conference.

It was noted that the discussion at the conference of topics covering all aspects of medical education creates great opportunities for participants in this area.
Then the famous researcher Fuad Akhundov made a presentation on the topic “Oil and non-oil history of Baku.” The opening ceremony ended with the performance of the song “Karabakh” by the Honored Artist of the Republic of Azerbaijan Sabina Arably.
After the opening ceremony, the conference continued with symposia on various topics. The symposia will discuss topics such as simulation-based learning, skills training, cognitive skills training, computer technology and artificial intelligence applications.
At the conference, which will last until October 10, more than 30 world-renowned experts will present their reports on current issues in the field of medical education.
At the sessions “What do the experts say?” cutting-edge approaches to medical education and training will be presented.
It should be noted that until now, ICME conferences have been held biennially in Abu Dhabi, Mauritius, Istanbul, Ottawa and Islamabad. In 2021, the conference was held in a virtual format in collaboration with the Islamic University of Indonesia.