Post by Guido de Wilde

Did you know that medical robots blink to indicate their level of consciousness? I didn’t, until I watched a high-fidelity patient simulator ‘lose consciousness’ during a campus tour at UZ Leuven. Minutes later, our 2nd stop, I found myself standing in an operating room for the first time, watching a team of surgeons prepare a lung for transplantation 🤩 And for the 3rd stop, the Vesalius Institute - Campus Oostende, I saw the extraordinary care behind human body donation and how many students learn anatomy thanks to that generosity. I felt incredibly honoured to attend the KU Leuven Health Partner Days, celebrating 600 years of medical education. It was my second work trip as Lead Global Education at Leiden University Medical Center, and at first I couldn’t grasp what six centuries of history truly meant. How do you understand a university that has shaped medicine long before modern borders existed? But over three days, something shifted. Their history stopped feeling abstract and became human. As I listened to a series of inspiring speakers, their long academic tradition clicked into something tangible and deeply relevant for global education: Chris Van Geet reminded us that ‘mobility for all’ is not a luxury but a developmental necessity. Chris Verslype showed that future-proof curricula must intentionally build global competences. Esther Munalula demonstrated that true North–South collaboration requires ethical courage and the willingness to decline research that doesn’t benefit local communities. Yvonne Denier illustrated that bioethics is the water we all swim in, shaping every decision on justice, innovation and care. Hilde Groenen highlighted that mobility thrives only with clear structures and a central contact point. Ruben Corluy shared how an international placement was life changing, revealing inequality in healthcare but also the power of humility. Lies Langouche showed how early exposure to global research creates scientists who are both curious and courageous. Bit by bit, those 600 years became more than a number, it became a tapestry of dedicated brilliant people with so many shared values. Something that resonated with global education at LUMC: • the power of embedding global learning into curricula • the importance of creating clear coordination so partnerships can thrive • the necessity of building reciprocal mobility and ethical research pathways • shaping mindsets not just CV’s I left Leuven not just impressed, but genuinely connected to a global health community, aware that we are part of a broader movement to reimagine global education in healthcare. My sincere thanks to Inge De Prins, Leen Swinnen, Emilie Springael and Fran Venken for organising this inspiring event, and to all colleagues at KU Leuven and UZ Leuven for opening your doors and showing what 600 years of medical education looks like in practice.