Initiated by the Faculty of Public Health of Tbilisi State Medical University, the two-day international academic event “Scientific Talks” was held in a hybrid format on October 20–21, 2026. The event brought together professors, researchers and public health professionals from Georgia, Spain, Armenia, Lithuania, Romania and France, including representatives of TSMU’s partner universities, to exchange academic expertise and foster international collaboration in public health and scientific research.

Professor Ángel Antonio Carbonell-Barrachina, Vice-Rector of Miguel Hernández University of Elche (Spain), visited TSMU and held a working meeting with Professor Irakli Natroshvili, Rector of TSMU; Vice-Rectors: Professors Sophia Bakhtadze, Zurab Vadachkoria and Rusudan Rukhadze and academic staff of the Faculty of Public Health. The meeting focused on opportunities to strengthen existing academic cooperation between the universities and develop future partnerships.

The two-day event was officially opened by Professor Sophia Bakhtadze, Vice-Rector of TSMU and Professor Shalva Zarnadze, Dean of the Faculty of Public Health. The primary objectives were to address current issues in public health and scientific research, promote international academic cooperation and facilitate the exchange of professional knowledge and experience among participants.

The first day of the event focused on current issues in public health and scientific research. Professor Ángel Antonio Carbonell-Barrachina, Vice-Rector of Miguel Hernández University of Elche (Spain), delivered presentations: “Global Arsenic Contamination and its Potential Impact on Children Under Three Years of Age and Patients with Coeliac Disease” and “Pomegranate and Pomegranate-Based Products: A Rich Treasure Trove.” International colleagues also delivered presentations addressing research needs and quality assurance in scientific research.

The second day's working sessions explored the application of complex systems and complexity theory in public health, student involvement in scientific research, and issues related to plagiarism and the use of scientific resources.

The event concluded with a discussion during which participants addressed the key topics raised in the presentations, exchanged professional experiences, and explored opportunities for future collaboration.

The two-day event was attended by TSMU students, master's students, doctoral students, and academic staff of the Faculty of Public Health.