The International Office was established in 1998 by Vice-rector for international relations and investments of KSMA Aidaraliev A. A. The first steps in establishing partnerships were made in 1998 with the conclusion of a Memorandum with the American International Health Union (AIHA) with the participation of the University of Nevada in five areas:

- development of international health
- development of family medicine
- development of nursing
- development of research potential of the Academy
- development of kgma resource center

Arsen Aidaraliyev, Vice-Rector for International Relations and Investment

The work of the established International Office at the initial stage was focused on establishing cooperation with international funds, organizations, partner Universities in order to find new technologies for training and research, attract funds, implement mutually beneficial projects.

Experience of three years of work and accumulation of experience of international cooperation led to the fact that the Office was transformed into three separate structures, each of which began to work on an independent direction of development of international relations of KSMA.

In particular, the Center for International Cooperation of KSMA was established, the main task of which was to enter the international markets of educational services, attract foreign students.

International Office of KSMA was engaged in cooperation with foreign Universities, international organizations and foundations.  A number of major international projects in the field of improving teaching methods, research, optimization of University management were implemented through the activity of International Office.

The third division was the Center of information technology, whose task was to access the international information space, ensuring access of KSMA employees to the flow of modern medical information.

The subsequent work has shown the effectiveness of this approach in the development of the international potential of KSMA and enabled the full participation of KSMA in the international system of medical education

The first officers of the International Office

In 2008, the Center for International Cooperation was disbanded and the Department of International Relations was established. In 2009, by reorganization, the Department of International Relations was renamed the International Relations Office of the Kyrgyz State Medical Academy named after I. K. Akhunbaev. The Office was established in accordance with order No. 17 of January 22, 2009. International Relations Office - is a structural unit of the Kyrgyz State Medical Academy named afterI. K. Akhunbaev (KSMA).

In the organizational structure the IRO is a separate structural unit and lead by the Vice-rector for international relations and strategic development Ms. Gulmira Djumalieva

According to the Development Strategy of KSMA for 2010-2020, the leadership of the Academy defined the main strategic goal: to achieve international recognition and maintain the image of a leading center of medical and pharmaceutical education.

In this regard, the International Relations Office carries out its activities for the further integration of KSMA in the world educational space and actively developing international cooperation with the involvement and use of the potential of all stakeholders: government agencies, business, international organizations, etc.

International cooperation is conducted with universities and educational institutions of the near and far abroad. On the basis of direct contracts and agreements the Academy cooperates with universities of Belarus, Spain, Kazakhstan, China, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, South Korea and others.

The active work is conducted on the exchange of students within academic mobility programmes, their participation in the annual scientific-practical conferences, Olympiads, as well as for making of an industrial practice in the universities of Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkey and China.

The first practice were organized for a period of two weeks for students of the faculty of Medicine in Dagestan State Medical University on the cycle “Surgery” with the efforts of IRO. As well as students of 4-5 courses of faculty of General Medicine passed 1 months internship in the clinic of the University of Erzincan, Turkey in all four cycles. Educational programs of Universities have been previously agreed.

In 2018, KSMA received a grant on academic mobility in the key KA107 within the framework of the EU Erasmus+ program jointly with the University of Girona, Spain on a joint master's degree Erasmus Mundus Master on diagnostic imaging and practical application, which will be implemented until the end of 2019.

In cooperation with the medical faculty of the University of Geneva (Switzerland) state educational standards of the new generation are being introduced at the pre-diploma and post-diploma levels at KSMA.

A number of joint projects have been implemented with the support of the world Bank (WB), the Swiss cooperation Bureau (SDC) and the Embassy of Switzerland. In particular, on the basis of KSMA a unique Training center for clinical skills and Center for clinical skills and knowledge assessment was opened.

KSMA closely maintains relations with international organizations and programs, such as: German academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Erasmus+, Open Medical Institute (OMC), international Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The purpose of cooperation is to conduct joint seminars on various issues of education and science for students, residents and employees of KSMA.

In 2015 the KSMA received funding in the Erasmus+ project "Advancing the higher education in the field of biomedical engineering and Health management in Kyrgyzstan". The main objective of the project is to assist stakeholders in the use and management of equipment in addition to its acquisition. The goal will be achieved through the development of training programs in medical Informatics and biomedical engineering with the participation of Kyrgyz partner universities.

As part of the above-mentioned project, a Center for Distance Learning and Telemedicine was opened on the basis of KSMA in 2017. And in 2018, within the framework of the same project, a Training Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering was opened.

The Academy works closely with the University of Kyong Hee, South Korea in the framework of the project "Improving the health of preschool children in residential areas of Bishkek" under the Korean Agency for international cooperation KOICA since the beginning of 2017. During this time, a number of activities were carried out with the financing of the project: teachers of the departments of "General and clinical epidemiology" and "Faculty Pediatrics" developed seminars for medical personnel of the FMC №12 on capacity building, and teachers of the Department of "Nursing" developed a training course for senior students of the faculty "Higher nursing education". In addition, the above departments and the Department of "Propaedeutics of childhood diseases" implement three research projects on various problems of preschool age. Several teachers of the Department of "Nursing" participate in trainings on the analysis of games, where they learn the skills of assessing the physical and emotional state of children during games.

The Academy began its cooperation on the project in the field of medical care and education together with the Foundation GreenShoots Foundations Limited, London, UK. In 2017, 2 teachers of HIV education at the Royal Free Hospital underwent a 2-week internship.

KSMA cooperates with the University of Oviedo, Spain under the Erasmus Mundus Master programme on Public health in disasters. A “Letter of Intent” was signed between the Universities, as a result of which KSMA included a list of affiliated centers, KSMA teachers will be able to teach and graduates will be able to enter this master's program and defend a joint master's thesis.

Since the end of 2016, students have been actively exchanged under academic mobility programs to participate in annual scientific and practical conferences, Olympiads, short-term training, as well as for practical training.

In September 2016, the Institute for Youth Development, funded by the Embassy of the Netherlands in the Kyrgyz Republic, initiated a project aimed at increasing the level of students' confidence in their higher education institutions (universities) through the introduction of transparency and openness tools in the activities of universities - "Increasing confidence in higher education through transparency of universities in Kyrgyzstan". The Kyrgyz State Medical Academy, Bishkek Humanitarian University and the Kyrgyz State Technical University were invited to participate. The main goal of the project was the participation of active students in the formation and spending of the university, for transparency and accountability of universities. During the implementation of the project, a large number of meetings of the heads of the target universities, students and project coordinators from the Youth Development Institute were organized and held. As a result of the project, public hearings were held with the participation of students, parents, employees, the media and all interested parties on the expenditure of the budget of the state KSMU. This initiative, complete budget information, will be carried out on an ongoing basis by three universities: KSMU. I.Akhunbayeva, I.Razzakov KSTU, K.Karasaev BSU, thereby ensuring openness and transparency of budgetary processes in universities.

For the first time, the employees of the CHI carried out an industrial practice for a period of two weeks for students of the Faculty of LD at the Dagestan State Medical University in the “Surgery” cycle on the basis of an interuniversity agreement. In addition, students of the Faculty of LD 4-5 courses have completed a 1-month internship at the clinics of the University of Erzincan, Erzincan, Turkey in all four cycles of industrial practice.

For the first time in the history of KSMU, a grant for academic credit mobility in the key of KA107 was received within the framework of the European Union Erasmus+ program jointly with the University of Girona, Spain for the joint master's degree Erasmus Mundus in diagnostic imaging and practical application, which is implemented until the end of 2019. This program deepens the knowledge of information technologies and their applications, helps to master the practical application of machine learning and image analysis in order to solve existing difficulties in the analysis of medical images. And so, residents in the direction of radiation diagnostics and two teachers of the department of Radiation Diagnostics and Therapy were trained for a two-week internship in order to exchange experience.

Within the framework of cooperation with the Medical Faculty of the University of Geneva (Switzerland), the state educational standards of a new generation are being introduced at the pre-diploma and postgraduate levels at KSMU. A number of joint projects have been implemented with the support of the World Bank (WB), the Swiss Cooperation Bureau (SDC), as well as the Swiss Embassy. In particular, on the basis of KSMU, unique of its kind have been opened: a Training center for clinical skills and a Center for Clinical Skills and Knowledge Assessment.

KGMA maintains relations with international organizations and programs, such as the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the National Office of Erasmus+ in Kyrgyzstan, the Open Medical Institute (OMI-AAF), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Representative Office of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Kyrgyz-Japanese Center for Human Development (KRJC), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) for Cooperation in Education and science, conducting joint seminars for students, residents and staff of KSMU.

Another significant event was the participation in the Erasmus+ project "Development of higher education in the field of biomedical engineering and management in healthcare in Kyrgyzstan" (KyrMedu). The main goal of the project is to assist stakeholders in the use and management of equipment in addition to its acquisition. The goal was achieved through the development of curricula in medical informatics and biomedical engineering with the participation of Kyrgyz partner universities. Within the framework of the project, in 2017, the Center for distance learning and telemedicine opportunities was opened with the receipt of equipment in the amount of 4674.96 Euros, and in 2018 a Biomedical Training Laboratory with equipment in the amount of 111788.00 Euros was opened.

The Academy has been working closely with Kyung-hee University, South Korea within the framework of the Zharkyn Kyrgyzstan project to improve the health of preschool children in residential complexes in Bishkek in partnership with the Korean Agency for International Cooperation (KOICA) since the beginning of 2017. During this time, a number of activities were carried out with the funding of the project: seminars were developed for the medical staff of the CSM No. 12 on capacity-building by teachers of the Departments of General and Clinical Epidemiology and Faculty Pediatrics, and teachers of the Department of Nursing developed a training course for senior students of the Faculty of Higher Nursing Education. In addition, the above-mentioned departments, as well as the Department of "Propaedeutics of Childhood Diseases" are implementing three research projects on various problems of preschool children. Teachers of the Department of Nursing participated in trainings on the analysis of children's games through which they learned the skills of assessing the physical and emotional state of children.

The Public Charitable Foundation "Ji Medical" Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, provided charitable assistance in the form of equipment (laptop, projector, wall screen) in the amount of 83316 soms.

The Academy has started its cooperation on a project in the field of medical care and education together with the GreenShoots Foundations Limited, London, UK. In 2017, 2 teachers on HIV infection training at the Royal Free Hospital completed a 2-week internship.

KSMAA cooperates with the University of Oviedo, Spain on the Erasmus Mundus program on the topic “Public Health in natural disasters". A “Letter of Intent” was signed between the universities, as a result of which KSMAA included a list of affiliated centers, KSMAA teachers will be able to teach and graduates will be able to enroll in this master's program and defend a joint master's thesis.

In April 2019, the Ministry of Education of Korea successfully approved the joint project application of KSMU and Kyung-hee University “Development of a master plan for capacity building of the Department of Nursing of KSMU”. The aim of the project is to develop a master plan for the development of nursing skills and competencies in order to lay the foundation for nursing and professional development projects. In this regard, KSMU teachers visited Keng-Hee University, who were given the opportunity to participate in training using high-precision dummies, as well as engage in classes using virtual modeling, participants were also introduced to the School of Nursing Education at Keng Hee University, teaching staff and equipment, with the work and arrangement of university hospitals and the clinics of Kyung Hee University, Yonsei University, and the polyclinic of the Mapo district of Seoul.

In 2019, KGMA signed a memorandum of cooperation to work in the project of the Japan Agency for International Cooperation (JICA) "On continuing education and the development of a state certification exam for pharmacists in the Kyrgyz Republic to achieve sustainable development goals with the support of the private sector." The aim of the project is to jointly prepare and conduct a pilot exam in the form of testing to check the current level of knowledge of fifth-year students of the Faculty of Pharmacy of KSMU together with the Center for Informative Education of Yakuzemi.

Ties with European universities are growing stronger. KGMA together with the University of Eastern Finland in 2019, KGMA received another funding for Erasmus+ credit mobility in the field of public health, as well as with the College in Kvizden, Poland, for nursing education. KSMAA enters into a cooperation agreement with the University of Zurich in the field of epidemiology.

Every year, not only outgoing, but also incoming academic mobility increases, professors visit KSMU as part of the Visiting Professor program to give lectures, conduct master classes and interactive classes. For example, in 2019, fourteen guest lectures were held in the field of liver disease, microbiology, nursing education, pathological physiology, therapeutic and orthopedic dentistry, chemistry, epidemiology and cardiology. In addition, students of various levels come to study and gain experience, in 2019 students from South Korea, Kazakhstan and Russia came.

According to the interest and wishes of teachers and students, cooperation is being conducted with universities of neighboring countries, Kazakhstan and Russia. Several universities in Kazakhstan and Russia annually practice mutual academic mobility of teachers and students.