International cooperation. Analysis of activities for the five years.

International cooperation of the Academy is greatly affected by both Russian and international social and economic factors. The middle of the 1990s was marked by prompt integration of Russia into the world's community. Bilaterial relations with foreign universities, research institutes, pharmaceutical and other companies were expanded in all scientific areas. Russian market became interesting for the western investors, with public health services being among the most attractive. The trend resulted in noticeable growth of the number of representative offices of various pharmaceutical firms and organizations specializing in the spheres of production and trade in medical engineering in Russia. The increase of contacts between Russian and Western firms was influenced by high demand in training of staff, capable to work on the new equipment and introduce progressive technologies into practical public health service.

Along with the changes in internal and external policy in Russia, it is necessary to take into consideration both general tendencies of development and transformation of public health services, redistribution of resources allocated for health protection, changing priorities in organization of medical aid to the population, which is, first of all, focused on primary health care services. Those "capitalist" countries, where public health services are being funded and controlled by the state, are getting anxious about the high cost of public health services, which are stipulated by the increase of cost on in-patient treatment connected with fast inculcation of expensive medical examination and treatment. At the same time, it hasn't been considered to be the reason to cause significant changes in public health, as a whole. In this respect, more attention is paid to less expensive resources as prevention of diseases and health strengthening. Traditionally, these directions of health protection are realized by employees, working in a basic sector of public health services such as doctors and medical nurses of general practice. The reorganization of primary health care as a general practice was declared by the World Health Organization as one of the priorities of public health reforms providing accessibility to medical aid to the population on the one hand, and its economic efficiency on the other hand. The above-mentioned is closely connected with limitation of expenses in the process of rendering medical aid during the more expensive hospital stage. Cooperation between the Academy and European Office of the World Health Organization was strengthened particularly in the beginning of the 90s. Within this cooperation the Academy proceeds with organizing conferences and seminars under the aegis of European Office of the World Health Organization. Part of them are devoted to the change of life style (Program "Help People to Change"). During the meetings held within the links of the project, the leading specialists and experts of CIS countries discuss problems of AIDS-infection, sexually transmitted diseases and other actual topics. (Coordinator of the programs is The Chief of the International Department E. Schemborskaya).

It is necessary to admit, that the 90-ies were characterised by the prompt development of the pharmaceutical industry, inculcation of the new medical methods of treatment, progressive technologies in the area of cardiosurgery, endovideosurgery, neurosurgery, dentistry, transplantology, which has increased the possibilities to care for those patients, who have been considered hopelessly ill earlier.

With the development of medical science any doctor, having the computer and Internet access, becomes much more informed using the Internet resources.

The circumscribed tendencies of public health development, typical for the majority of western countries, have influenced the Academy's international activity. It is necessary to point out that the Academy has been traditionally attractive to the international partners not only as the institution possessing high scientific and practical potential. Being the establishment of postgraduate education, which has no analogies in the world, the Academy promotes new knowledge and technologies in the area of public health services throughout Russia, with a large stream of doctors being trained.

The basic directions of the international activities at that time were: efferent therapy, dentistry, management in public health services, clinical dietology, medical mycology, neurophysiology, AIDS, preventive medicine, endoscope-surgery, radial diagnostics, general medical practice, nursery business, geriatrics, homeopathy, psychiatry, radiology, medical ecology, reflexotherapy, neurosurgery, computer science and other. One can see from studying this short list how many Colleges of the Academy were involved in the international activity. Its fulfillment was realized in the way of employees' participation in international symposiums, fact-finding trips to different centers of science, participation in international conferences, which were organized in the Academy, and also clinical tests of the medicines and drugs, sponsored by the western pharmaceutical firms. The listed activities were traditional for the Academy during the last years. The certain changes touched only the priority of directions, in order to choose modern ways of medical science and practice development.

Recently, the new strategy of international activities was introduced, which was based on the following principles:

• engaging the resources of western firms for realization of the long-term projects;
• searching the grants for realization of programs of cooperation with the western partners;
• training abroad the new generation of the teachers.

In whole, the analysis of international activities of the Academy for five years has shown, that the chosen strategy gaive some results. The completed and initiated projects had and still have positive effect on the level and quality of educational process, improve training conditions for the pedagogical staff, which would work at the Academy for years.