Erasmus+ Staff Week

Over three days, higher education professionals, healthcare practitioners, and early-career specialists will examine how medical education can respond to changing professional roles, digital health innovations, and the growing importance of human and ethical competences.

Sign up for the event

June 1: Arrivals

 

June 2: Understanding the Future of Health Professions in a Changing Healthcare Landscape

The first day explores how healthcare professions, skills, and career paths are evolving in response to systemic and technological change. Sessions focus on labour market needs, employability challenges, and the growing impact of digital health, telemedicine, and artificial intelligence on clinical practice. Speakers will share real-world examples from healthcare organisations, highlighting both opportunities and challenges linked to innovation and digital transformation. The day will conclude with a welcome reception at the RSU Anatomy Museum, fostering networking in a unique academic setting.

09.00 – 10.00 | Registration

10.00 – 10.15 | Welcome from RSU, Introduction of Staff Week

10.15 – 10.45 | “The Future of Medicine in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Rethinking Roles, Skills, and Systems” by Dr Niklas Lidströmer, University of Copenhagen & Karolinska Institutet

10.45 – 11.15 |“Building Digital Health Ecosystems: From Research to Real- World Healthcare Impact” by Dr Dorothée Marie-Louise Doepfer, Berlin Institute of Health (BIH)  

11.15 – 11.45 | “Patient Access to Health Data: Empowering Patients and Preparing Future Healthcare Professionals” by Prof. Maria Hägglund, Uppsala University & Uppsala University Hospital

11.45 – 12.15 | Coffee/Tea Break

12.15 – 12.45 | “From Data to Decisions: Implementing Artificial Intelligence in Clinical Practice” by Assoc. Prof. Maija Radziņa, Riga Stradins University  

12.45 – 13.15 | “Future Skills for Health Professionals: What Healthcare Systems Expect” by Prof. Madalena Patricio, University of Lisbon

June 3: Building Future Skills in Education

The second day focuses on the role of higher education in preparing future healthcare professionals. Discussions will address competency-based education, digital health competencies, and the alignment of medical curricula with clinical practice and innovation. The programme also highlights international mobility and lifelong learning as key elements in developing adaptable and future-ready professionals. The day will conclude with a co-creation session, inviting participants to jointly reflect on the topics discussed and explore practical ways to integrate future skills into medical education.

09.00 – 10.00 | Registration

10.00 – 10.30 | “Rethinking Medical Curricula: From Knowledge-Based to Competency-Based Education” by Assoc. Prof. Ingus Skadiņš, Riga Stradins University

10.30 – 11.00 | “Teaching Digital Health Competencies” by Dr Sandra Barteit, Heidelberg Institute of Global Health & Heidelberg University

11.00 – 11.30 | “International Mobility as a Tool for Developing Future Skills” by Prof. Holger Schmidt, Elbe Kliniken Stade Buxtehude

11.30 – 12.00 | Coffee/Tea Break  

12.00 – 12.30 | “Preparing Healthcare Professionals for a Changing World” by Prof. Ellie Hothersall, University of Dundee 
Honorary Consultant in Public Health & NHS Tayside

12.30 – 13.00 | “Digital Health & Telemedicine: New Competences for Clinical Practice” by Dr Niklas Lidströmer, University of Copenhagen & Karolinska Institutet

13.00 – 13.30 | “From Classroom to Clinic: Reflections on Early Career Experience in Healthcare” by Simona Costa, Hospital of Bressanone

13.30 – 14:30 | Workshop by Dr Sandra Barteit

June 4: The Human Side of Medicine

The final day focuses on the human and ethical dimensions of medical practice and how these competencies can be taught to students. Topics include data protection and patient rights, difficult conversations in clinical settings, and professional well-being and resilience. Participants will discuss educational approaches for developing communication, ethical decision-making, and self-care skills in future healthcare professionals. The event will conclude with closing remarks and final networking opportunities.

09.00 – 10.00 | Registration

10.00 – 10.30 | “Data Protection and Patient Rights in Modern Healthcare” by Riga Stradins University

10.30 – 11.00 | “Caring Through Communication: Insights from Ethnography and Conversation Analysis” by Assoc. Prof. Bregje de Kok, Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development & University of Amsterdam

11.00 – 11.30 | “Well-being and Resilience as Professional Skills in Medicine” by Dr Agita Melbārde-Kelmere, Riga Stradins University  

11.30 – 12.00 | “Communicating Medicine to Society: Strategies for Public Engagement and Awareness” by Dr Tommaso Scquizzato, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University & San Raffaele Scientific Institute

12.00 – 12.15 | Closing remarks

June 5: Cultural programme

A visit to the historic city of Sigulda.