Sim University is a flagship SESAM initiative designed to advance excellence in healthcare education through simulation-based learning. It brings together interprofessional teams of undergraduate students from around the world to engage in high-quality educational experiences that promote clinical reasoning, teamwork, and shared decision-making in complex care environments.

The competition reinforces essential competencies for safe patient care, including leadership, communication under time pressure, situational awareness, and crisis resource management.

A structured and expert-facilitated debriefing process ensures alignment with recognised educational standards and maximises learning outcomes.

Structure and Format

The 2026 edition introduces an enhanced structure to further strengthen the educational pathway and competitive experience:

Phase 1 — Virtual Preliminaries (February 2026)

Teams participate remotely in digital simulation-based challenges designed to evaluate the integration of knowledge, collaborative problem-solving, and interprofessional coordination.

Phase 2 — On-Site Finals at the SESAM Annual Meeting

📍 Lyon, France — 17–19 June 2026

The highest-ranking teams from the preliminary round will advance to quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final round held live during the Annual Meeting, under the evaluation of an international panel of simulation experts.

Eligibility and Team Composition

• Teams of four undergraduate students
• Interprofessional participation recommended (medicine, nursing, paramedic sciences or related fields)
• When multiple teams apply from the same country, national simulation societies or universities are encouraged to coordinate team selection

Educational and Professional Value

Participation in Sim University provides:

• Exposure to diverse simulation methodologies and European standards of practice
• Formative assessment guided by experienced debriefers
• Immersion in an international scientific community
• Strengthening of both technical and non-technical skills
• Opportunity to gain visibility during a major healthcare education event

Registration Timeline

• Registration period: first week of December 2025 – 15 January 2026
• Virtual preliminaries: February 2026
• On-site finals: 17–19 June 2026 — Lyon, France

Registration Form: click here

Rules and Regulations: click here

Commitment to Healthcare Quality

Through Sim University, SESAM reinforces its mission to promote innovation, collaboration, and patient-centred care in healthcare education. By enabling students to participate in structured, evidence-based simulation experiences beyond their local institutions, the programme contributes to preparing a new generation of clinicians capable of responding effectively to evolving healthcare challenges.

We look forward to welcoming the selected teams to Lyon in June 2026 and to working closely with national partner societies to support this important educational endeavour.

For questions or further details, please contact simuni@sesamsociety.org