Medical engineering: training co-operation in limb prosthetics with leading Ukrainian universities

On the initiative of the OeAD Co-operation Office in Lviv, the ÖB Kyiv and the Ministry of Health, university co-operation between the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria and medical universities in Ukraine is being intensified and expanded: The Department of Medical Engineering is planning a training co-operation in limb prosthetics with leading Ukrainian universities.

Martin Mühlbacher, Embassy Counsellor for Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection for Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, recently visited the Department of Medical Engineering at the Linz campus. Dean Christian Stark, Head of Department Martin Zauner and the Head of the International Office, Iwona Hunstorfer, thanked the diplomatic representative for supporting the new cooperation with the Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University and the I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University in Ukraine.

Trips to Ukraine, which Hubert Egger from the Department of Medical Engineering undertook at the invitation of the city of Lviv in April this year and the two medical universities in September this year, were organized by the OeAD Cooperation Office Lviv, the Ukraine Office Austria at the BMEIA and the BMSGPK office at the ÖB Kyjiw and accompanied and supervised by Embassy Counsellor Martin Mühlbacher. => Hubert Egger from the Department of Medical Engineering has been invited to Lviv in April and visited the two medical universities in September. These trips were organized by the OeAD Cooperation Office Lviv, the Ukraine Office Austria at the BMEIA and the BMSGPK office at the ÖB Kyjiw and accompanied and supervised by Embassy Counsellor Martin Mühlbacher.

“The focus of academic training at Campus Linz focuses on ‘Society & Management, Medical Engineering and Social Work’,” explains Christian Stark. “One of our goals is to play an active role in shaping the society of tomorrow. The University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria shares its expertise in the field of limb prosthetics in the planned collaboration. We can also learn a lot from our Ukrainian partners, especially how to overcome major challenges in particularly difficult situations,” said the Dean with conviction.

The healthcare sector is increasingly relying on modern medical technologies for prevention, treatment and medical aftercare, which is why the Medical Engineering degree program focuses on combining engineering and medical expertise. “We will therefore build our cooperation with our Ukrainian partners on a solid and sustainable basis. Prosthetic limbs have already been sent to Ukraine for this purpose. The next step will now be to support training in the field of prosthetics,” emphasises Martin Zauner, Head of Department.

International cooperation is not only important for the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria because it promotes the exchange of knowledge and experience. “Cooperations, such as with the two Ukrainian universities, enable us to promote intercultural skills, deepen our understanding of global challenges and, last but not least, to respond to the challenges of an increasingly networked world,” says Iwona Hunstorfer, Head of the International Office,adding: “By creating such cooperations, we are expanding our network, and open valuable perspectives for students and teachers on both sides.”

During a tour of the laboratories, the embassy counsellor learned about research projects in the fields of bioprinting, physical biochemistry and limb prosthetics from professors Armin Hochreiner, Birgit Plochberger and Jacak Jaroslaw. The Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University is one of the largest and oldest medical universities in Ukraine. It trains specialists in medicine, paediatrics, disease prevention, dentistry and pharmacy and consists of 14 buildings with 75 departments. The I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University is a medical university in the Ukrainian city of Ternopil and trains specialists in medicine, dentistry and pharmacy. It consists of five faculties with 57 chairs and more than 640 lecturers.