In April this year, we welcomed colleagues from the Institute of Balneology (Institut du Thermalisme), which operates at the University of Bordeaux, to our institute. This meeting followed on from a long-term professional dialogue and mutual interest in cooperation in the field of balneology and spa therapy. This visit was followed by a personal visit by our team to the French workplace, which allowed us to get to know their research and educational facilities in detail.
The main objective of these meetings is to develop systematic cooperation in the field of education for professionals in the spa industry, healthcare, and related professions. During the presentation of our institute's activities, and in particular the Spa Research Center project , our French partners and students expressed considerable interest in practical involvement in our activities.
Based on these discussions, several students from the Institut du Thermalisme applied for professional internships, not only directly at the Institute of Balneology and Spa Medicine, but also at spa facilities in the Karlovy Vary Region. These internships will focus on various professional fields – from healthcare and rehabilitation to spa management and technical and balneological specializations.
We greatly appreciate this positive response, which confirms the professional relevance of our work and also represents an important step towards long-term and sustainable international cooperation. We see our cooperation with the University of Bordeaux not only as a contribution to education, but also as a basis for future joint research projects and the sharing of know-how in the field of modern spa care and balneology.
