Semmelweis University participated in the first conference of Hungarian and Vietnamese rectors which was organised around President of State, János Áder’s visit to Vietnam at the end of November. In the section following the plenary session Rector Dr. Ágoston Szél gave an overview of Hungarian medical education and the acknowledgement of degrees attained here, whereas Vice-Rector Dr. Mária Judit Molnár gave a presentation on Semmelweis University itself and its current agreements with Vietnamese institutions.
“In order to strengthen the two countries’ cooperation in education, next year twice as many scholarship opportunities will be available to Vietnamese students to study at higher education institutions in Hungary.”, declared János Áder at the opening ceremony of the First Hungary-Vietnam Rectors’ Conference. The leaders of 16 Hungarian and 50 Vietnamese institutions were present at the conference held in Hanoi, where the aims were to nourish relationships between institutions and to identify new opportunities for co-operation. The field of medical education was represented by Semmelweis University, the National Institute of Oncology and the University of Pécs.
While introducing the Hungarian medical educational system Rector Dr. Ágoston Szél pointed out that it boasts a 245-year-old tradition as well as an excellent reputation. The education of medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, healthcare studies and management are internationally acknowledged and are appealing to foreign students. Vice-Rector Dr. Mária Judit Molnár described Semmelweis University’s Vietnamese relationships. She emphasized that Semmelweis University has had partnerships with Vietnamese institutions for nearly a decade, and so far eight bilateral agreements have been signed. Semmelweis University has been engaged in several meetings with Vietnamese public and higher education leaders discussing reforms of the Vietnamese healthcare system and mandatory postgraduate training courses in medicine.
Returning from the official visit Dr. Mária Judit Molnár said that the Vietnamese were greatly interested in graduate and PhD programmes in the biomedical and healthcare science fields, as well as in postgraduate specialist training courses. The plenary programme and the professional workshops were followed by bilateral discussions where Semmelweis University received a lot of attention and extensive consultations were held with three Vietnamese institutions. The University of Ho Chi Minh City would preferably establish a co-operative partnership in the field of molecular biology research. A Memorandum of Understanding had already been signed by two institutions, however the points of co-operation need to be specified.
Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy, established in the 1950s is seeking collaboration with Semmelweis University to realise mobility programmes available for students and faculty members and postgraduate specialist training. Dr. Ágoston Szél and Dr. Mária Judit Molnár visited Hanoi Medical University and they found that there was a great interest in programmes of medicine, nursing and healthcare management as well as the possibility of establishing collaborative PhD programmes.
Most recently Semmelweis University and the National Institute of Ophthalmology have signed a Memorandum of Understanding agreeing on launching a postgraduate specialist training programme linked to tuition fee. Dr. Zoltán Zsolt Nagy, Director of the Department of Ophthalmology and Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences and Dr. Marcel Pop, Director of International Affairs visited Vietnam in mid-November and signed the pre-arranged Memorandum of Understanding. They also participated in the European Higher Education Fair held in the Vietnamese capital and negotiated with institutions offering nursing programmes about possible future partnerships.
Pálma Dobozi
Translated by: Ágnes Raubinek
