The AMEE 2026 International Conference, the annual conference of the International Association for Health Professions Education (AMEE), was held in Vienna, Austria, from 23 to 26 August 2026, bringing together medical education professionals and academic leaders from around the world in a hybrid format.

AMEE 2026 was particularly significant for Tbilisi State Medical University, as the AMEE Centre at TSMU was officially awarded the status of  AMEE Regional Centre of Excellence. This recognition represents an important milestone in TSMU’s longstanding collaboration with AMEE and reflects the University’s sustained contribution to the advancement of medical education in Georgia and the wider region.

This important news was officially announced by Anne Lloyd, Chief Executive Officer of AMEE, during the opening ceremony of AMEE2026 conference.

The conference brought together more than 4,000 delegates from 80 countries, including leading experts, educators, researchers, and academic leaders in health professions education. TSMU was represented by a delegation headed by Professor Irakli Natroshvili, Rector of TSMU.

TSMU Delegation:

• Professor Irakli Natroshvili – Rector of TSMU;

• Professor Khatuna Todadze – Head of the Quality Assurance Office;

• Professor Rima Beriashvili – Head of the Department of Faculty Development and Strategic Planning;

• Salome Voronovi – Head of the AMEE Centre of Excellence in Georgia and Deputy Head of the Department of Faculty Development and Strategic Planning;

• Professor Irma Manjavidze – Head of the Clinical Skills and Multidisciplinary Simulation Centre.

Professor Irakli Natroshvili was invited to participate in the high-level AMEE Institutional Member Senior Leaders Forum, where the achievements of member institutions were discussed and TSMU’s significant contribution to the advancement of global medical education was highlighted.

As part of the visit, the TSMU delegation, led by the Rector of TSMU, held a series of high-level meetings with leading figures in medical education, with a focus on strengthening strategic partnerships and expanding opportunities for international collaboration.

The delegation met with:

• Associate Professor Ayelet Kuper, AMEE President, Professor Janusz Janczukowicz newly elected president,  and Anne Lloyd, Chief Executive Officer;

• Professor Harm Peters, President of the Association of Medical Schools in Europe (AMSE);

• Professor Ricardo León-Bórquez, President of the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME), Dr. Geneviève Moineau, Vice-President of WFME and Emiola Oluwabunmi Odapade-Olaopa, President-Elect;

• Professor Ronald Harden, Professor David Taylor, Professor Olle ten Cate and Professor Madalena Patrício, internationally recognized experts in medical education.

The conference programme featured a strong presence of TSMU representatives through presentations, workshops, academic sessions and professional activities.

Salome Voronovi delivered four presentations, including a 45-minute presentation on the AMEE main stage focusing on the transformative role of the TSMU-based Centre as a regional hub, (From International Collaboration to Regional Capacity Building: The AMEE International Networking Centre in Georgia as a Sustainable Faculty Development Hub). She also led two workshops:

• “Sustainable Global Collaboration in Health Professions Education: Co-designing Practical Models for Effective and Ethical Partnerships”; 

• “ASPIRE to Excellence: Mutual Benefit at the Heart of International Collaboration in HPE.”

In addition, Salome Voronovi delivered a presentation during the Academic Development Assessment Communication Session:

• “The Transformative Impact of the AMEE International Networking Centre in Georgia: A Regional Model for Advancing Health Professions Education.”

Professor Khatuna Todadze presented TSMU’s experience in faculty professional development:

• “Objective Structured Teaching Encounters (OSTE) Advance Tool for Faculty Development in Medical Education: The TSMU Experience”  

Professor Irma Manjavidze presented Eposter on simulation-based education:

• “Clinical Skills and Simulation Training in Medical Education: Students’ and Faculty Perspectives.”

Professor Irma Manjavidze also chaired a session on learning design and, as a member of the Advisory Board, participated in the annual meeting of MedEdPublish, the electronic journal dedicated to medical education.

The AMEE General Assembly announced that the 2027 AMEE International Conference will be hosted by Helsinki, Finland. The Assembly also presented the Association’s annual report covering its activities over the past year, introduced new members of the AMEE Board, and officially announced Professor Vishnu Devi Nadarajah as the new president-elect(2026-2028).

The recognition achieved at AMEE 2026, together with the high-level meetings and extensive academic engagement of the TSMU delegation, represents a significant step forward in strengthening TSMU’s position in the global medical education community, expanding international partnerships, and developing new collaborative educational initiatives.