Media Release

Ajman, Mar 15: A high-profile delegation of Australian Trade Commission, Australian Government, led by the deputy consul general and trade commissioner for UAE, Anna Fedeles visited Gulf Medical University (GMU) Monday March 13 seeking opportunities to collaborate with the university in the fields of medical education, healthcare and research.

The healthcare research delegation included a host of esteemed dignitaries from the medical education, healthcare and business sectors, including representatives from renowned institutions like Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Monash University, Murdoch University, University of Wollongong and others.

The delegation was received at the university by professor Hossam Hamdy – chancellor of GMU, professor Gita Ashok Raj – GMU provost and the deans of the various colleges of GMU. They were then presented with a video outlining Thumbay Group’s activities in medical education, healthcare, research and other sectors, as well as an overview of the ongoing and upcoming expansion projects. The delegates also toured the university’s educational and research facilities, including the different ongoing projects of the hospitals and medical centers in the campus.

The delegates held detailed discussions with the academic leadership led by professor Hossam Hamdy, exploring potential avenues for cooperation and collaboration. Thanking the university’s leadership for the reception, Anna Fedeles said that the delegation was very impressed with the facilities of GMU, the quality of the academic curriculum imparted and the emphasis on innovation. “What we saw when we walked around the university; the vision of the university, the direction that the university aspires to take is really impressive. We can see that GMU has a very clear strategy of how to move ahead. It has the right funding, and is looking for international collaborations. This is one area where Australia can partner,” she said. The delegates also appreciated GMU’s efforts to establish a full-fledged Academic Health System; a first in the private sector in the region.

Thanking the delegates for their visit, professor Hossam Hamdy said that Gulf Medical University hoped to establish a strong relationship with healthcare institutions in Australia, to benefit from the country’s accomplishments in the field. Elaborating on the ongoing projects and possible areas of collaboration, he said, “GMU is building its state-of-the-art teaching hospital of 350 beds, raising the bed capacity of its teaching hospitals to 700 beds and seven clinics and around 40 pharmacies. The new project includes the new dental hospital and the largest rehabilitation center in the UAE. We hope to be able to collaborate with leading Australian healthcare establishments, to utilize their expertise in establishing partnerships for GMU’s journey ahead.”