Affect Regulation Summer School

A memorandum of cooperation was written between Isfahan University of Medical Sciences and Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg in 2008. This gave rise the agreement of cooperation between Jakob von Uexküll Centre from Psychosomatic Department of Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg, Danesh-e Tandorosti Institute, and Psychosomatic Research Center of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences in 2009. From then, 13 educational workshops were held in Isfahan, Iran, three summer schools in Freiburg, Germany, and one course in Isfahan. In line with these activities, some researchers participated in the programs have conducted some shared projects by the two universities. Some researchers were also sent to Freiburg for the research stay. The costs for all summer schools were provided by DAAD.

From 2015, post-doctoral course on psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy was approved to be held under supervision of Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg. Interested general physicians, specialists, and doctorate graduates of clinical psychology, counselling, and the related majors who were accepted in the entrance interview participated in the course. So far, two groups were accepted in the course whose proposals for their projects were approved in summer school.

It was the third time that Iranian students were sent to Germany in line with post-doctoral course on psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy project.

Professor Wirsching, Professor Levold, Professor Schmidt, Professor Fritzche were among the lecturers in this program. Professor Schiedt was also present in all the sessions as the head of psychosomatic department of Albert Ludwigs University and supervised the necessary coordination for the program. The Iranian participants were also participated in Balint groups. The lectures were mostly in English language. Those lectures which were in German were translated into Farsi for Iranian participants by Dr. Salavati. Three lectures were also presented by Iranian professors on related subjects. Another part of the program was Iranian participants’ interviews with the patients referred to the hospital; Dr. Salavati was the translator to convey the content. Besides, participants visited departments of Uniklinik, medical university, and other hospitals in Freiburg to see the condition of quality management in these centers.   

The program continued for two weeks, every day from 9 am to 14 pm. At the end of summer school, the certificate of presence in the course were given to the participants.