The Northern Medical Research and Education Center has opened in the Arkhangelsk Region. The goal is to enhance cooperation between universities in staff training, the Arkhangelsk Region's Governor and government press service reports.

The center will bring the Northern State Medical University and the Northwestern State Mechnikov University together, with the latter coordinating the cooperation. An agreement to this effect was signed on January 13, 2016.

"The main goal is to improve the quality of staff training and help universities become more efficient in their operation. Cooperation will help bring the universities' work to a new level in various areas, from education and research to innovation and international activities," Rector Lyubov Gorbatova said at a meeting between the center's universities and Arkhangelsk Region Governor Igor Orlov.

The universities will cooperate in post-graduate studies for doctors, in organizing uninterrupted medical education, in development of research, including Arctic related research, and in training medical staff for the subarctic territories.

Igor Orlov called on the medical research center to focus on Arctic related research. He would also like to see the name changed to the Arctic Center. He said he intended to support a request to the Russian Ministry of Healthcare to this effect.