Institutional Cooperation in Tele-Echography and Erasmus Program: The experience of two institutions in Cyprus and France

Abstract

The Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) and the University of Orleans in France cooperate in a research program in Telemedicine and in an educational exchange program under the European program Erasmus. The specific field of the research program is the Tele-echography and there is an on going project with the acronym MARTE (Mobile And Robotised Tele-Echography). The educational program consists mainly of exchanges of students and academic staff. The main scope of the project MARTE is the development of a tele-echographic system with which a specialist doctor would be able to examine a patient located in a remote place anywhere and under various conditions. The examination would be possible thanks to a video conferencing system and a tele-operated robot, which is controlled by a specialist doctor. This project is a continuation of a European funded research project named OTELO (FP5). MARTE began in 2004 and since then it is financed mainly by the cooperating Universities and the governments of Cyprus and France. In this complex project, in addition to the two Institutions, are involved two hospitals, one in Cyprus and one in France, another Institution (University of Cyprus), the Cyprus Telecommunication Authority, and other private companies in Cyprus and France. The educational exchanges are mainly financed by the Erasmus program and by the two Universities in the two countries. This paper comments on the experience acquired by the two Institutions CUT and University of Orleans from this international research and educational cooperation.