Human Study e.V.

Twenty years ago, Human Study began educating prosthetists and orthotists in South East Europe through our very first educational programmes.

This week at OTWorld, we had the joy of reconnecting with graduates from across the region — including members of our very first PO/BSc cohort, alongside graduates from later APO programmes. 💙

Seeing former students today working as leading experts in the region — as experienced professionals, colleagues, teachers, and mentors in their own countries — is a powerful reminder of why long-term investment in education matters.

Education does more than transfer knowledge.
It builds professional communities, strengthens rehabilitation systems, and creates lasting impact across generations of clinicians and patients.

To all our graduates: thank you for your dedication, your trust, and the work you continue to do every day in support of people who rely on rehabilitation services. We are proud to have been part of your journey.

And we are equally excited for what comes next, as we prepare for a new APO cohort in the region beginning later this year.

➡️ High-quality rehabilitation starts with qualified professionals.

👉 When we invest in education, we invest in the people who will help rebuild communities for generations to come. 🤝

In Ukraine, Human Study and Міжнародний Комітет Червоного Хреста в Україні are working together to strengthen the rehabilitation sector through education, professional standards, and long-term capacity building.
Our shared goal is to integrate international (ISPO International) educational standards into the Ukrainian rehabilitation system and help build a strong professional foundation for the country’s Prosthetics & Orthotics sector.

Most recently, the training module on Lower Limb Prosthetics within the Associate Prosthetist/Orthotist programme was delivered in Lviv at the facilities of our partner, Superhumans Center.
Associate-level education represents a critical professional milestone. It marks the transition from the mechanical assembly of devices to a deeper clinical understanding of every technical decision.

Participants emphasize that this training provides a foundation that has long been missing.
🗣️ Oleh Blazhiievskyi (Ortech, Zaporizhzhia) shared that the program replaced intuitive guesswork with practice grounded in clear biomechanical principles.
🗣️ Yevhen Bondarenko (Sofort, Zhytomyr) explained that this education transformed him from a technician into a specialist capable of confidently explaining and justifying clinical decisions to patients.

For Human Study teacher and trainer Milos Opacic:
💬 “This level of education is where specialists stop guessing and begin understanding exactly ‘why’ and ‘how’, enabling them to provide not only function, but greater confidence and quality of life for patients.”

The joint efforts of Human Study and International Committee of the Red Cross are a direct investment in professionals who will go on to serve people with disabilities, mentor colleagues across the country, and help strengthen Ukraine’s rehabilitation system for the long term.

📍The photos were taken last week during an onsite clinical training session at the Superhumans Center in Lviv.

Thank you our expert teachers Irfan Murtezani and Amr Gharib for the well done work!

👏👏👏 Thank you, Michael Rexing!

For over 15 years, Michael has shared both his expertise and his heart with Human Study — as a volunteer board member, clinical expert, online teacher, and hands-on trainer. His decades of experience caring for children with spinal conditions and cerebral palsy have inspired students from India to Mongolia, China, and across the Balkans.
Thanks to his dedication, local professionals now know how to create high-quality orthotic devices for children who once had no access to proper care — giving thousands a chance at mobility, independence, and a brighter future. ✨

🏆 When he’s not volunteering with us, Michael works at adViva /OPED, who give him the flexibility to travel and teach in our humanitarian projects worldwide. Their commitment to social responsibility shows what prosthetics and orthotics companies can achieve when they stand behind meaningful, global impact.

🎥 Note: The video was captured during one of our joint projects with the ICRC in India, where Michael’s teaching supported local teams in improving pediatric orthotic care. He was joined by two colleagues from Germany - Andrea Jagusch Espei (Occupational Therapist) and Christina Wörmann (Physical Therapist).

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Christian Schlierf

Keynote Speaker Spotlight – GEM 2026

We’re excited to welcome Christian Schlierf, Managing Director of Human Study, as a keynote speaker at GEM 2026! 🎙️

🗓️ Date: 25 March 2026
🕘 Time: 9:00 – 9:45 AM
📍 Venue: Rajapanada Sirindhorn Auditorium, Srisavarindira Building

🔹 Topic: From local roots to global reach – how a regional P&O training idea evolved to a global education program

Christian is the founder and CEO of Human Study, established in 2005 to make high-quality prosthetics and orthotics (P&O) education accessible worldwide. A long-time member of the ISPO Education Committee and GEM Sub-Committee, he has played a key role in shaping ISPO and WHO standards for P&O education.

Don’t miss this inspiring session that highlights how local initiatives can grow into global impact in P&O education.

🔗 Learn more about GEM 2026: https://www.ispoint.org/gem/

Siriraj SSPO ISPO Thailand

🦿🦾 Today is International Prosthetics & Orthotics Day — a moment to honour the professionals who help people regain mobility, dignity and independence.

Around the world, 40 million people need prosthetic or orthotic services. Yet for most — especially the 30 million living in conflict-affected or underserved regions — access remains out of reach as only 1 in 10 will receive the service they need.

At Human Study, we believe mobility is a right, not a privilege.
For 20 years, we’ve brought high-quality P&O education to places where formal training didn’t exist — combining online learning with hands-on workshops and meeting ISPO standards. This model empowers local professionals to build sustainable, long-term services in their own communities.

Behind every device is a trained professional — someone who helps restore possibility, hope and a future.

🙏 To all P&O professionals, students, alumni, trainers and partners: thank you. Your work changes lives every day.

Learn more and partner with us: www.human-study.org

🔗 Language access is not a luxury – it is essential.

In humanitarian education, translation isn’t just about swapping words. It’s about ensuring understanding, inclusion, and quality – even when timelines are short and resources limited.

At Human Study, we’ve spent years delivering prosthetics and orthotics (P&O) education across language barriers. When students learn in their native language, they grasp complex concepts more quickly, engage more confidently, and apply their knowledge more effectively in their communities.

But translating highly technical content – combining terminology from medicine, engineering, and materials science - is no easy task. That’s why expert translation and interpretation are critical.

We’re proud to partner with the Червоний Хрест України whose generous support has been instrumental in several of our educational initiatives in Ukraine. By covering the costs of translation and interpretation, they ensure that students in these programs can learn in their native language and fully engage with the content, instructors, and their peers.

We’re also deeply grateful to Prof. Federico Federici (UCL) and Wordfast, whose generous support has helped us streamline and professionalize our multilingual workflows.

📣 Translation isn’t a behind-the-scenes detail – it is central to delivering education that truly works.

🙏 To all our partners: thank you for standing with us in making education accessible and impactful across language barriers.

📸 The photo shows a scene from our instructional workshop, with the interpreter standing next to the teacher.

🎉 We’re thrilled to announce that our CEO and Founder, Christian Schlierf, has been honored with the 🏆 Sepp Heim Award at the ISPO World Congress 2025 in Stockholm! 🇸🇪

This prestigious award recognizes outstanding contributions to prosthetics and orthotics education and services in less-resourced settings, celebrating the incredible legacy of Sepp Heim—an inspiring leader who dedicated his life to improving care for people with disabilities around the world. 🌍

The award was presented by Dan Blocka, who reflected on Christian’s journey that began in 2004, when he first met Sepp Heim in Bosnia 🇧🇦. That meeting sparked a mentorship that deeply influenced Christian and led to the founding of Human Study in 2005. Since then, Human Study has brought education directly to students in war zones, disaster areas, and low-income countries, reaching over 1,000 professionals in 50+ countries! 🌐

In his acceptance speech, Christian said:
“This is such an honor and a great pleasure. Over the past 20 years, we’ve built something unique. Human Study is the only school offering all three ISPO-accredited education levels in less-resourced settings.”

He also pointed out that this award belongs to many:
“This is not an individual award - it belongs to the entire Human Study family and to our partners like ICRC, Mahidol University, and many others who have joined us in our initiatives over the years. And most importantly, to my own family, whose support made this possible.” 💙

Christian paid tribute to Sepp Heim, saying:
“Sepp was my guide and mentor for 15 years. I am grateful and proud to receive this award that bears his name.” 🙏

This award is especially meaningful as Human Study celebrates its 20th anniversary - at the 20th ISPO World Congress!

Please join us in congratulating Christian and everyone who has been part of this journey over the past two decades. 👏

📽️ Want to see the moment? Check out this video of the awarding ceremony, recorded informally from the audience by one of our team members: https://youtu.be/_dAdbdxpp2s