Cooperations with an international impact
Current global challenges are significant. Think for instance of the climate crisis, wars, and disparities in health. Together with strategic partners worldwide, we are working on (the innovation of) healthcare, research, and education to make a positive contribution in this regard
ReSViNET fights the effects of RSV
In 2023 the ReSViNET foundation, an initiative by a researcher from Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital (WKZ) in 2014, became part of UMC Utrecht. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the second biggest cause of infant death worldwide. The foundation fights against the effects of the virus by developing and sharing knowledge. The foundation therefore has control over the IHI RESCEU grant of € 29 million from the European Union. Via this grant information is gathered on the extent of RSV infections in Europe and the economic impact thereof. This led to the recommendation from the Dutch Health Council at the beginning of 2024 to protect all children against RSV through a national vaccination program. In addition, ReSViNET in 2023 for the seventh time organized the RSV Vaccines for the World (RSVVW) congress , which was attended by more than 550 participants from 52 countries.
In 2023, three studies in which UMC Utrecht was involved showed that it was possible to vaccinate babies, pregnant women, and older people against the RS virus. UMC Utrecht will also lead an international consortium that seeks to understand why children who had an RSV infection as a baby seem to have a greater chance later of developing asthma. Read more about this in the chapter Our Research for the healthcare of tomorrow.
Inter-university healthcare, research and education programs
To guarantee research of internationally high-standing quality and outstanding academic programs, we collaborate together with Utrecht University in a strategic network with KU Leuven, University College London, and the University of Toronto on inter-university healthcare, research, and education programs.
In November 2023, UMC Utrecht and Utrecht University paid a visit to KU Leuven to further explore and expand joint educational activities, knowledge-sharing, and opportunities for collaboration. For example in the field of regenerative medicine and the accompanying innovation and valorization, as well as artificial intelligence (AI) and data science.
LERU: impact on the European policy agenda
UMC Utrecht is a member of the League of European Research Universities (LERU) . This association of major European research universities aims through cooperation to have an impact on the European policy agenda in the field of research, education, and innovation. In 2023, UMC Utrecht participated actively in various policy groups that worked on establishing principles on European policy for research and innovation, knowledge security, new developments in the European Health Data Space , interdisciplinary research, and supervision of PhDs.
Training of professionals to contribute to SDG
UMC Utrecht participates in the European university alliance CHARM-EU , an innovative challenge-based university model aimed at training professionals who in the future can make a contribution to the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals .
UMC Utrecht coordinates the Health Challenges & Solutions course within the accredited CHARM-EU master’s program ‘Global Challenges for Sustainability’, and forms an active part of the Research Hubs network within this course. In 2023 the CHARM-EU team won the first ever UU Team prize for the project on CHARM-EU Master Global Challenges for Sustainability. In this innovative master program, students from different disciplinary backgrounds and nationalities in various locations in Europe conduct research together to find solutions to complex global challenges.
Specialist care for rare diseases
UMC Utrecht has expertise centers for rare diseases (ECZAs) for over 200 rare diseases. Through these expertise centers, UMC Utrecht has joined 17 of the 24 existing European Reference Networks (ERNs) . These are virtual networks set up for and by healthcare professionals in Europe, commissioned by the European Commission.
One of the ERNs that UMC Utrecht has joined, is the European Reference Network for rare immunological diseases (ERN RITA) . ERN RITA specializes in immune deficiencies, auto-inflammatory diseases, auto-immune diseases, and juvenile arthritis. The European coordination of ERN RITA takes place from UMC Utrecht. In 2023 UMC Utrecht organized the ERN RITA conference . 120 participants came together there, representing 54 healthcare providers and 9 patient organizations. During the conference, they talked about challenges and objectives for the next four years to improve care for patients with immunological disorders.
Improving specialist care in Aruba
At the end of 2022 UMC Utrecht signed a collaboration agreement with Horacio Oduber Hospital (HOH) in Aruba. Since 2023, structural multidisciplinary team meetings (MDO in Dutch or MDT in English) have been taking place for neurosurgery patients. An alternating group of UMC Utrecht neurosurgeons also provide treatment on Aruba that was not possible previously. This has given a great quality impetus to neurosurgery care on Aruba.
In October 2023, our Pediatric division also started a collaboration with HOH for pediatric care on Aruba.
Global Health: health for everyone
As UMC Utrecht, together with Utrecht University (UU), we contribute to the improvement of health for everybody through Global Health activities. At a regional, country, and international level. We do this in collaboration with hospitals and knowledge institutions in low- and middle-income countries on all continents. We thereby contribute to the worldwide ambitions of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) .
In 2023 two European Capacity Building in Higher Education grants were awarded to partnerships in which we participated, namely: a partnership in West Africa regarding chronic diseases and a partnership in Southeast Asia for Planetary Health. In addition, we provide a broad range in Global Health education. In 2023 the annual summer schools took place where we offered courses in the various Bachelor and Master programs at Utrecht University and the EWUU alliance. We presented educational innovations as virtual international partnerships with foreign universities.
In 2023, we organized the 13th European Global Health Congress (ECTMIH) in Utrecht and became a member of Global Health Hub Netherlands whereby we contribute to the implementation of the national Global Health strategy.
Read more about the Global Health activities at UMC Utrecht .
