Dundee Professor honoured for supporting Ukrainian Medical Education

A leading Dundee academic clinician has been awarded an honorary professorship by Ukraine’s oldest medical school for his extraordinary efforts to support medical education throughout the war.

Professor Jacob George, Chair of Cardiovascular Medicine and Therapeutics at the University of Dundee, has been named Honorary Professor of Dnipro State Medical University (DSMU) in recognition of his contributions to teaching and research since the Russian invasion in 2022. He had previously been awarded a Visiting Professorship at Dnipro University.

In a letter confirming the award, the Ukrainian university wrote, “On behalf of the Rector of Dnipro State Medical University, Head of the Dnipro Association of Internists, Professor Tetiana Pertseva, we would like to thank Professor Jacob George and the University of Dundee for their fruitful cooperation, and the people of the United Kingdom for the support we feel for our young scientists, people and state during these terrible times.”

In response, cardiovascular expert Professor George described receiving the honorary degree as both “amazing” and “humbling”.

Since the earliest days of the war, Professor George has been delivering lectures remotely to students and staff at DSMU. The Dundee based expert initially expected to teach only medical students, but soon found his lectures attended by entire faculties, with as many as 500 people gathering via video link.

One unforgettable moment came during his very first session, when an air raid siren interrupted the lecture. When the students returned online, many were in the dark, lit only by candlelight and the reflection from their computer screen.

Despite the ongoing conflict, Professor George has continued to teach with dedication and purpose. His lecture topics have included cardiovascular risk reduction, managing hypertension in older patients, and dyslipidemia, alongside regular updates on the latest clinical trial evidence.

Preparing for his talks, Professor George takes care to adapt each lecture to Ukraine’s specific medical challenges and context. He said, “The questions I get are incredibly insightful. To do them justice, I always make sure I’ve done my homework - gathering the most relevant, up-to-date evidence that really speaks to their situation.”

His lectures have been translated into Ukrainian and shared widely at national conferences in 2023 and 2024. They also inspired DSMU’s initiative “United Hearts with Ukraine” attracting international experts from across Europe and the US.

Professor George has also contributed to research collaborations with Ukrainian universities. He joined the editorial board of Medical Perspectives, DSMU’s academic journal indexed in Scopus and Web of Science and played a key role in joint scientific grant submissions through the EU’s HORIZON programme. These included the TARGET-U and PATCH4LIFE projects, and he has also served as a reviewer for EURIZONE, a scheme designed to support Ukrainian scientists.

DSMU noted that his contributions have had “positive feedback not only from students, but also from teachers and the medical community.” Professor Olexandr Kuryata, Head of the Department of Internal Medicine at DSMU, praised Professor George’s “professionalism, competence, responsiveness and initiative.”

Professor George said, “The most amazing thing to me is how tenacious the Ukrainian people are,”  

They have so much going on, yet they just go about their day. They are so resilient, so amazing, and I am truly inspired by them.”

Professor George hopes to visit the university in person when the situation allows and has been invited many times. In the meantime, he will continue teaching remotely, with two advanced lectures on heart failure scheduled for May 16 and October 23 2025.