History

In 1996 the University of Amsterdam engaged in a project aiming at internationalization of its teaching programs. Internationalization should stimulate students to carry out part of their studies at universities abroad, with the aim to become more aware of the increasingly important international environment. As medical informatics then was a relatively young program, it was decided to seek collaboration with older and more established medical informatics schools. Soon contact with the medical informatics program in Heidelberg/Heilbronn, Germany was established. Students and teachers from Amsterdam and Heidelberg travelled to one another’s university and participated in educational activities.

Then in 1998, a group of universities, including the University of Amsterdam, the University of Heidelberg/Heilbronn, the University of Minnesota, and the University of Utah, agreed that internationalized studies should constitute an integral part of the educational programs they offered. To stimulate this international orientation and education, they established IΦE. University of Washington then join the partnership in ???? and followed by Taipei Medical University which become the only university from Asia become IPHIE member.