The first meeting of foreign students selected during recruitment in the COFUND call within Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions in Horizon 2020, their supervisors and MUB authorities took place in the Senate Hall of the Medical University of Bialystok, on September, 24. Over 180 candidates from all over the world were interested in doctoral studies within ImPRESS project "International Interdisciplinary PhD Studies in Biomedical Research and Biostatistics. Supporting the career and training in omic-based research and biostatistics by inter-national and - sectoral mobility". 15 best PhD students come from all over the world: USA, Mexico, Malaysia, Indonesia, Turkey, Vietnam, India. They were welcomed by Vice-Rector for Science, professor Marcin Moniuszko, a coordinator of the ImPRESS project.
Supervisors of the ImPRESS students are distinguished scientist from MUB, among others: Rector, professor Adam Krętowski, professor Jacek Nikliński, professor Jerzy Pałka, professor Barbara Mroczko, professor Wojciech Miltyk and professor Karol Kamiński. Professor M. Moniuszko mentioned also foreign partners who will come to Białystok to give lectures from such prestigious universities and research centers as: Heidelberg University, CEMBIO San Pablo University CEU, Vienna Biocenter, CNIC Spanish National Center for Cardiovascular Research, and CenStat at Hasselt University. He introduced international doctoral students to the directions of MUB development related to personalized medicine. PhD students were invited to the inaugural ceremony of the opening of the new academic year 2018/2019, which will be held in Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic on October, 10.
Head of newly formed doctoral studies, Deputy Dean, dr hab. Anna Moniuszko-Malinowska presented the study plan and the expected results of the project. At the end of the meeting, foreign doctoral students visited the MUB headquarters, and a new modern museum available in the cellars of the Branicki Palace.
The Medical University of Bialystok, as the only Polish university, has won a prestigious grant for conducting doctoral studies in the COFUND competition as part of the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions of the Framework Program of the European Commission, Horizon 2020. The aim of the COFUND call is to stimulate regional, national or international doctoral programmes, to foster excellence in researchers' training, mobility and career development, spreading the best practices of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions. MUB received also co-funding awarded by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education for the implementation of the ImPRESS project.
