The field of stroke medicine is evolving rapidly, and educating specialists has become more important than ever. To meet this need, the University of Bern (Switzerland) launched the European Stroke Master Programme – a Master of Advanced Studies (MAS) in Stroke Medicine – in 2022 with support from the European Stroke Organisation. In this interview, ESO speaks with Prof. Simon Jung, Director of the Programme Committee of the MAS in Stroke Medicine at the University of Bern, about the programme’s origins, goals, and impact.
Interview
ESO: Prof. Jung, could you start by telling us when the MAS in Stroke Medicine programme was founded, and who was behind its creation?
Prof. Simon Jung: The MAS in Stroke Medicine – also called the European Stroke Master– was launched in 2022 under the leadership of Prof. Urs Fischer at the University of Bern, Switzerland, with strong support from the European Stroke Organisation. It aims at creating a postgraduate programme for the next generation of stroke specialists and leaders, in line with ESO’s mission of improving stroke care across Europe and beyond. Our programme is also supported by the Angels Initiative and several industrial partners (without influence on content).
ESO: What was the motivation for establishing this programme? Why did you feel it was needed in today’s stroke care landscape?
Prof. Simon Jung: Stroke care has become incredibly complex over the last two decades – we’ve seen dramatic advances in acute treatments and prevention strategies. At the same time, the global incidence of stroke is rising, and new therapies are reaching more patients, creating an unprecedented demand for well-trained stroke specialists. We clearly need an advanced, specialised education programme to fill that gap – to train experts who can manage complex cases and lead multidisciplinary teams in this rapidly evolving field. The MAS programme was born to address the worldwide need for stroke experts who are up-to-date and can raise the level of stroke care in their hospitals, regions or even countries.
ESO: How has the interest in the programme been so far? For example, how many students apply and how many are accepted?
Prof. Simon Jung: The interest has been overwhelming, which underscores how much such training is needed. Our first class (2022–2024) had 33 students. For the most recent intake, we had over 100 applicants for a limited number of slots – we could accept only 37 students in the second class. So it’s quite competitive. We’re delighted to see such strong demand, but it also means we have to turn away many qualified applicants.
ESO: What kinds of students join the MAS in Stroke Medicine? Are they mostly from Europe, and do they come from similar professional backgrounds?
Prof. Simon Jung: In the first two classes, we’ve had students from 37 countries across five continents, including 27 European countries as well as participants from Asia, Africa, South America, and Australia. It’s a fantastic global mix – we have a neurologist from Honduras, a stroke physician from Montenegro, and a geriatrics specialist from Ireland all in the same class. This mix of cultures really enriches the programme. Our participants have all been medical doctors so far, but we do also consider applicants from other stroke-care professions (like nurses, therapists or researchers). Participants range from senior residents who are early in their careers to seasoned consultants in leadership roles, and that peer-to-peer exchange is extremely valuable.
ESO: Could you outline how the course is structured? It’s a part-time programme, correct? What does it involve in terms of modules, on-site training, etc.?
Prof. Simon Jung: Yes, it’s a 2½-year, part-time programme designed to fit around a working clinician’s schedule. The curriculum covers the full spectrum of stroke medicine across eight thematic modules – from epidemiology and acute treatment to prevention, rehabilitation, haemorrhagic stroke, and stroke research.
We follow a blended learning format: online lectures and live webinars are combined with three one-week, in-person sessions in Bern, where participants engage in hands-on workshops, expert-led discussions, and case-based learning. In total, the programme offers around 300 lessons taught by leading stroke specialists such as Diana Aguiar de Sousa, Louis Caplan, Stéphanie Debette, Peter Rothwell, and others.
Participants also complete at least three weeks of Stroke Unit observerships (clinical internships) in established stroke centres – typically in 1-2 countries outside their own – to gain practical experience across different healthcare systems. The programme concludes with a Master’s thesis, focused on a research or quality improvement project on a stroke topic of their choice under faculty supervision.
In summary, it’s a flexible and in-depth programme combining online learning, intensive weeks in Bern, international clinical exposure, and academic research – all designed to support ongoing professional practice.
ESO: What are the key goals of the programme? What do you hope participants will take away in terms of skills or impact?
Prof. Simon Jung: We aim to train people “who not only follow best practices but also shape them”. This involves learning how to lead a stroke team, how to set up stroke units or networks, how to educate colleagues and even the public about stroke. We want our graduates to go out and not only apply best practices, but actually shape and improve stroke care in their regions.
Our overarching goal is to improve stroke expertise across the board and to develop leaders in stroke care. We emphasise critical thinking and evidence-based practice.
Throughout the course, students are challenged to stay ahead of current guidelines and to critically appraise new research findings, discussing how to apply them in real-world practice. By the end, we expect that a graduate will be comfortable interpreting new studies and integrating the latest evidence into their clinical decision-making.
In a nutshell, the goal is to produce well-rounded stroke specialists who are evidence-driven and capable of leading improvements in stroke care.
ESO: Have you seen any real-world impact from the programme yet? Could you share some success stories of alumni making a difference in stroke care?
Prof. Simon Jung: Certainly. Even though the programme is still quite new, many of our students and alumni are already using their training to improve stroke care back home – often in places that previously had limited stroke resources. For instance, one graduate from the Maldives, Dr. Ahmed Rasheed, performed the country’s first-ever thrombolytic treatment for acute stroke and was instrumental in establishing the first dedicated stroke centre in the Maldives. Thanks to his leadership (bolstered by what he learned in the MAS), stroke treatments that were never available on the islands are now being offered, laying the foundation for organised stroke care there.
In Honduras, Dr. Javier Lagos-Servelló set up Honduras’s first national stroke registry – which is crucial for understanding the stroke burden – and he successfully lobbied the government to have the national insurance cover intravenous thrombolysis for stroke patients. This means a life-saving treatment is now accessible to over ten million people in Honduras, which is a huge policy achievement driven by his vision and expertise.
Others have been driving change in their regions as well. In Montenegro, one of our graduates, Dr. Sandra Vujović, founded the Montenegro Stroke Society – the country’s first professional organisation devoted to stroke – and even organised Montenegro’s first international stroke conference. She’s effectively united clinicians and policymakers to put stroke on the national health agenda, and the knowledge and network she gained during the MAS have been pivotal for her in organising stroke training workshops and awareness campaigns at a national level. And in South Africa, Dr. Louis Kroon now leads a stroke centre in a resource-limited region. He’s applied insights from the European Stroke Master programme to implement new protocols that streamline acute stroke triage and treatment in his hospital, even with constrained resources. These are just a few examples, but they show how the graduates are becoming change-makers.
In addition, some of our alumni are getting recognition as emerging leaders in stroke on an international level. For example, Dr. Marietta Peycheva from Bulgaria and Dr. Antonio Ciacciarelli from Italy – both graduates of the MAS – were recently accepted into ESO’s Emerging Leaders Programme, which is a highly competitive pathway to train future leaders in stroke research and care. Their selection speaks volumes about the calibre of professionals coming out of our programme. Both of them have mentioned that the MAS experience helped sharpen their skills and inspired them to take on larger roles in stroke advocacy and research. So, we’re not only seeing local improvements but also our graduates stepping into broader leadership roles, which is very gratifying. And Vasilis Tentolouris from Greece is now part of our Stroke Master Programme team after finishing his Master`s Degree.
ESO: What feedback have you received from the students themselves? Any quotes or testimonials that illustrate the programme’s impact on them professionally or personally?
Prof. Simon Jung: The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive – many participants describe the experience as truly transformative for their careers and personal growth. One graduate wrote to us, “My warmest thanks to you for all you have done for us – the Stroke Master was one of the greatest experiences of my life.” Another commented, “The MAS programme was a life-changing experience for me… professionally very enriching and stimulating. I am now well-prepared for the mission of saving the lives of stroke patients.” Another wrote, “The programme was wonderfully organised and exceeded my expectations. We not only advanced our knowledge in stroke science, we also created a very friendly international community that has a special place in my heart.”
These testimonials really sum it up – the course not only boosts their clinical confidence and knowledge, but also creates a tight-knit international network of stroke professionals. This success was also the result of the inspiration and effort of the Director of Studies, David Tanner.
ESO: When and how can prospective students apply for the programme?
Prof. Simon Jung: The next cohort starts in 2026. Applications are open until 31 August 2025 via our website info.strokemaster.ch
ESO: Thank you, Prof. Jung, for sharing these insights. It’s inspiring to hear how the MAS programme is shaping stroke care leaders around the world.
Learn more and apply now for the European Stroke Master Programme.
Interested in the Emerging Leader Programme? Application is still open
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