The George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Sciences and Technology (UMFST) of Targu Mures has been designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to host the UNESCO Chair Medical Humanities, Ethics and Human-Centred Digital Health, the UMFST Rector Leonard Azamfirei announced on Wednesday.

'This success is also the expression of a broad international mobilisation. Our candidacy was supported by more than 25 universities on five continents, government institutions, associations and professional organisations, as well as the European University Alliance DIVERSE. We will work together with these partners to develop educational programmes, research projects and interdisciplinary initiatives, facilitating academic mobility and knowledge transfer. Membership in the global network UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs, which brings together approximately 1,100 UNESCO Chairs and 50 university networks from about 130 countries, connects UMFST to an international ecosystem of expertise, academic cooperation and dialogue with society and decisionmakers. It is an opportunity to contribute directly to UNESCO's priorities and to strengthen the visibility and role of our university at global level,' Azamfirei wrote in a social media post.

The chair will operate until December 31, 2030, with the possibility of renewing the designation under the conditions established by UNESCO.

'As chairholder, I aim for this international recognition to translate into a contribution to shaping a future in which technology amplifies the potential of medicine, without diminishing its profoundly human dimension,' wrote Azamfirei.

This international recognition, said the rector, is the result of a rigorous and competitive evaluation process, carried out in two stages.

'At the national level, the UMFST candidacy was validated and supported by the Romanian National Commission for UNESCO, given that each country was able to submit a maximum of two proposals for the 2026 selection cycle. That was followed by the international evaluation, within a global competition organised by UNESCO, based on scientific relevance, alignment with the organisation's priorities and the potential for cooperation and international impact. The UNESCO Chair addresses one of the great challenges of contemporary medicine: how can we harness artificial intelligence and digital technologies to transform medicine, preserving the profoundly human dimension of the medical act,' according to Azamfirei.

According to the rector, at the intersection between medicine, humanities, ethics and technology, UMFST aims to develop an international platform for education, research and innovation that will promote a responsible digital transformation, centred on people, human dignity and ethical values. AGERPRES (RO - editing by: Dorina Matis; EN - writing by: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu)