Hatice Palta, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at BAU International University Batumi, visited Inha University Hospital in South Korea. As part of the visit announced on 1 July 2026, Palta met with the heads of various departments of the hospital. During the meetings, the development of the cooperation between the two institutions, which began in 2024, was discussed, along with joint initiatives that could be carried out in the fields of medical education, clinical practice, scientific research, and academic studies. The visit took place as part of BAU International University Batumi’s efforts to strengthen its academic relations in the Far East.

An important part of the programme consisted of a comprehensive study tour of Inha University Hospital’s clinical and educational infrastructure. Hatice Palta personally inspected the hospital's various service units, educational spaces, simulation centres, and healthcare delivery model. Hospital representatives provided information on the institution’s technical infrastructure and how educational and clinical processes are managed. This inspection allowed for the evaluation of potential future collaborations between the two institutions based on existing capabilities.

The official partnership between BAU International University Batumi and Inha University Hospital was announced in August 2024. The cooperation was established around the internationalisation of medical education, supporting scientific research, and facilitating student, academic, and administrative staff participation in mobility programmes. In August 2025, a delegation led by the university's rector, Tea Mikeladze, also travelled to South Korea to hold talks on student and staff exchanges, joint research, and knowledge sharing. Hatice Palta’s visit ensured that these previously established contacts were maintained at the level of the faculty and hospital departments.

One of the first practical applications of the partnership for students was the participation of Handenur Tarhan, a student at BAU International University Batumi, in a clinical internship at Inha University Hospital's Department of General Surgery during the 2025–2026 academic year. Furthermore, in February 2026, the university published a call for a one-month clinical internship programme for third, fourth, fifth, and sixth-year students, as well as a two-week academic mobility call for academic staff. In these programmes, with travel and accommodation expenses covered by the university, the final selection of candidates was made by the partner institution. These initiatives demonstrated that the partnership encompasses student and academic staff mobility alongside institutional discussions.

During Hatice Palta's discussions with the department heads, areas where new educational, research, and professional development efforts could advance were evaluated. Addressing medical education and hospital practices together proved significant in terms of allowing students to enhance the knowledge acquired in the classroom within a clinical environment. The inspection of the simulation centres also provided an opportunity to compare how controlled training environments that safeguard patient safety are structured across different institutions. The insights gained during the visit contributed to evaluating the planned collaborative efforts in alignment with the educational and clinical infrastructure.

BAU International University Batumi's visit to South Korea was a comprehensive study programme where the next steps of the partnership with Inha University Hospital were addressed. The meetings and on-site inspections conducted by Hatice Palta with hospital administrators brought together medical education, clinical practice, research, and academic mobility under the same programme. With this visit, the university continued its goal of strengthening its network of partnerships in the Far East and increasing international experience opportunities for its students and academic staff.