The Russian House in Colombo hosted a delegation from the First Pavlov State Medical University of St. Petersburg, represented by Professor Sergey Karpishchenko, Vice-Rector for International Relations, and Victoria Gavrilina, PhD, Deputy Dean of the Medical Faculty for Foreign Students.
Meeting at the Ministry of Health
The key event was a meeting at the Ministry of Health and Mass Media of Sri Lanka with the Deputy Minister, Dr. Kumara Wickremasinghe. Dr. Wickremasinghe is a graduate of a Soviet medical university, a renowned physician, and a former Director of the National Hospital of Sri Lanka
During the discussion, a crucial issue was discussed: the recognition of diplomas from our University by the Sri Lanka Medical Council. The Russian House in Colombo is actively working on this issue, striving to expand opportunities for graduates and future students.
Russian medical education remains one of the most sought-after among Sri Lankan youth – graduates of our universities work in every government hospital in the country.
Visit to the National Hospital
Accompanied by the Deputy Minister, the delegation visited the country's main government hospital, the National Hospital of Sri Lanka – one of the oldest and most prestigious medical institution in the country. It is noteworthy that over the past 40 years, it has been led by graduates of Soviet universities.
The uests were shown various departments, wards, the emergency unit, and the "red zone," and were introduced to the staff. It was especially pleasing to see how many doctors speak Russian fluently – they are our graduates, the true "golden fund" of Russian-Sri Lankan cooperation. Today, about 25% of the hospital's medical staff are graduates of medical universities in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Krasnodar, Tver, Kursk, and former Soviet republics.
The delegation also familiarized themselves with the hospital's infrastructure, traveling around the grounds in special transport, and highly praised the level of organization of medical care. Sri Lanka's healthcare system is free and actively developing, and the interest in international academic exchange here is very high.
During the visit, the idea of holding a conference for Russian-speaking doctors – graduates of Pavlov University was also discussed.
Meeting with the Sri Lanka Medical Council
The Russian House in Colombo also organized a meeting with the leadership of the Sri Lanka Medical Council – the key body that makes decisions on the accreditation of medical universities and the recognition of diplomas/
The meeting with the Chairman of the Council, Professor Jayanta Jayawardena, took place in a warm, professional, and constructive atmosphere. Representatives of the St. Petersburg university spoke in detail about the history and current activities of their institution – one of the oldest medical universities, where many citizens of Ceylon studied during the Soviet era. Today, the university is interested in reviving this good tradition and increasing the enrollment of students from Sri Lanka.
During the conversation, an agreement was reached to consider options for recognizing the diplomas of Pavlov University in Sri Lanka. The delegation was given a special questionnaire to begin the procedure. The Russian House will accompany this process and keep the matter under special supervision.
Visit to the University of Colombo
Following that, the delegation visited the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Colombo – the largest and oldest medical faculty on the island, with a history spanning over 160 years. A meeting was held with the Dean of the Faculty, Honored Doctor Professor Prasad Katulanda, who is also the Head of the Department of Clinical Medicine and a leading endocrinologist at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka. Professor Delushi Desanayake, a renowned neurobiologist heading the Department of Scientific Research, also participated in the meeting.
The main focus of the discussions was on inter-university exchange, joint internships, visits by lecturers and doctors, and the development of scientific cooperation. Particular interest was shown in the fields of rare and tropical diseases, endocrinology, neurobiology, and Ayurvedic medicine. Prospects for joint research and projects were discussed.The Department of Neurobiology expressed interest in a scientific partnership with their Russian colleagues.
Following the meeting, the parties exchanged contacts and a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which we hope will become the foundation for long-term cooperation between the leading medical universities of Russia and Sri Lanka.
Levan Semyonovich Dzhagaryan, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Republic of Maldives, welcomed the delegation at the Embassy of Russia. Sergey Anatolyevich shared the results and impressions of the business program in detail. Levan Semyonovich expressed his willingness to assist in the implementation of future joint projects between the countries
