There is a global, unmet need for well-trained health professionals and other healthcare workers. Yet globalization opens up enormous opportunities for the health education field to benefit from international networks and knowledge exchange. The Medical Education focus area of CIH^LMU was established to address the rising global demand for coordinated, high-quality and relevant medical education and training.

The Medical Education area within the CIH^LMU aims to advance medical education through international collaboration, education, training, and capacity building. A partnership between Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) in Munich and Jimma University in Ethiopia, initiated in 2002, became part of CIH^LMU, in 2009 and led to the creation of a Master’s program (MSc) in Health Professional Education (MHPE) at Jimma University.

The Medical Education branch of CIH^LMU has been continually extending its reach, by offering international training programs. The Academic Teacher Training Courses (ATTC), are currently conducted in Africa, Europe, Asia and Latin America, focusing on improving teaching, curriculum development and designing optimal evaluation methods.

Faculty development activities are also conducted at LMU University Hospital. In addition, activities support undergraduate students in developing intercultural competencies for global health settings. A recent trilateral exchange project within the SDG Partnership Programme fosters collaboration between LMU, Jimma University (Ethiopia), and Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences (Bhutan), promoting mutual learning in medical education.

All these diverse activities contribute to a shared goal: working alongside individuals and partner institutions—particularly in low-income and least developed countries—to co-strengthen capacities for educating and training health professionals.