On 3 November 2023, a webinar “Challenges in Introducing IT in Healthcare and Ways to Address Them: Best Practices in Serbia” was held as part of implementing the Acceleration Programme of Penza State University.

The students participating in PSU Acceleration Programme had the opportunity to discuss with Serbian experts the experience of Serbia, problems and prospects for introducing IT into the healthcare system.

The webinar was held with the support from the International Projects Department of the International Relations Office of PSU (headed by Tatiana Razuvaeva). The meeting was moderated by Leila Gamidullaeva, leader of PSU Acceleration Programme and Head of the Department of Marketing, Commerce and Service.

The event participants were welcomed by Sergei Vasin, Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation, who emphasized the importance of holding such meetings and attracting foreign experts to generate new ideas and exchange the best practices.

Dražen Višnjić, Deputy Minister of Scientific and Technological Development, Higher Education and Information Society of Serbia, presented the infrastructure for supporting project development in Serbia. In his speech, Dražen Višnjić also noted the importance of promoting joint research in the field of healthcare with Russian research teams as the most promising area of international scientific cooperation.

Jovica Petrović, President of the Executive Board of Metacognis Institute, spoke about the focus areas of medical research at Metacognis Institute. He also introduced the webinar participants to the prospects for promoting start-up projects in the field of healthcare in the national markets, e.g. Serbia, and in the international markets, e.g. Africa and Asia.

Nikola Petrović, teaching assistant of the Faculty of Technical Sciences at University of Novi Sad, project manager in the field of medicine, biomedicine, biomedical engineering at Metacognis Institute, presented students with a number of cases demonstrating the implementation of IT in healthcare in Serbia.

The speeches encouraged a vigorous debate, during which students put multiple questions to Serbian experts and received comprehensive answers. Both parties agreed to hold similar meetings in the future, as well as to create interdisciplinary research teams involving PSU students in order to conduct joint research, including in the form of start-ups.