The Department of Rehabilitation of the Faculty of Medicine of Kauno kolegija Higher Education Institution strengthens international relations: 2–12 October, lecturer Manuel Gonzalez Sanchez from the Spanish University of Malaga (UMA) visited the department. The researcher specialises in neuro and physical rehabilitation, sports injuries, muscle function, biomechanics and exercise science.

On 3 October, lecturer Hulya Yucel arrived at the Department of Rehabilitation from Istanbul, Turkey. A lecturer working at Istanbul University of Health Sciences visited the department until 13 October and shared knowledge about water therapy techniques and ergotherapy. M. G. Sanchez deepened students’ knowledge not only at the theoretical, but also at the practical level. The lecturer led 7 theoretical lectures and 6 practical seminars.

In the theoretical lectures, the researcher covered the historical development and theoretical assumptions of various physiological parameters, assessment methods, analysed clinical situations, talked about the assessment of nervous system activity using specialised questionnaires, presented the application of functional ability assessment, methodology of applied research in rehabilitation and research ethics in rehabilitation, reviewed the need for manual therapy, assessed suitability and effectiveness and compared the use and effectiveness of palpation to the use of medical technology.

In the practical seminars, the lecturer reviewed and analysed the used methodologies in groups, shared the methods of assessing functional abilities, introduced the formulation of research parameters and the application of manual therapy methodologies. Students also worked in pairs using the palpation method.

Lecturer Hulya Yucel introduced students to:

• • water therapy terminology
  • basics of water therapy
  • case examples in neurology, orthopedics, geriatrics and working with children and women
  • examples of research and literature on the topics of osteoporosis, obesity, osteoarthritis, sleep disorders, postpartum depression, cancer, hypertension, fall risk in the elderly
  • the importance of individual and group therapy

In the practical part of H. Yucel’s training, students learned about occupational therapy and physiotherapy methods, examples of the physical properties of water, the effect of water on the body’s systems, therapy methods, and practically tested interdisciplinary teamwork in the swimming pool and got acquainted with the performance of the Ai Chi technique in the swimming pool. Students consolidated the knowledge gained in lectures and seminars with a final discussion and exam.

During the stay, topics of international cooperation, goals of joint scientific institutions, main opportunities and future training topics were discussed with the lecturers. We thank the lecturers Hulya Yucel and Manuel Gonzalez Sanchez for the knowledge, inspiration and cooperation provided to the students of the Department of Rehabilitation, and we wish them success!