Semmelweis University and the Kingdom of Bhutan signed a Memorandum of Understanding according to which – among others – six Bhutanese students will be given the opportunity to study western medicine at our University. The agreement was signed during the ceremonial visit of Her Majesty the Queen Mother Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck.
As a cultural ambassador of Bhutan and Goodwill Ambassador of the UN, Her Majesty the Queen Mother strives to popularise her country’s culture and to establish new cultural and educational partnerships around the world. The Kingdom of Bhutan approached Semmelweis University and Szent István University as part of this strategy.
The Southeast Asian country’s healthcare is still dominated by traditional eastern medicine; however, thanks to the modernisation efforts, western medicine has also gained ground in the past several decades. Her Majesty strives to provide a possibility to the best Bhutanese students to participate in western medical education and therefore strengthen the country’s healthcare in the long run. During her meeting with Dr. Ágoston Szél, rector of Semmelweis University, Her Majesty the Queen Mother Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck emphasised that they considered the internationally renowned Semmelweis University the most suitable partner to collaborate with in this crucially important task.
The meeting started with the presentation of the Bhutanese delegation which touched upon the Queen Mother’s wide-ranging campaign efforts apart from the general presentation of the Kingdom. Her Majesty Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck prioritises the popularisation of Bhutanese art and cultural heritage, with special regard to the local industrial art and the textile industry. Consequently, she established for example the Royal Textile Academy in Thimphu, capital city of Bhutan, and she is also one of the founders and patrons of the Bhutan Textile Museum in the capital.
Her Majesty the Queen Mother also considers the promotion of national happiness important, along with the issues of healthcare, education and family policy. In this latter field her efforts in connection with sexual well-being are remarkable; she supports for example the global campaign “One Billion Rising” which battles domestic violence against women. Her objectives include the mitigation of the disadvantageous social situation of women and children through education and job creation. (For example, the Royal Textile Academy founded by her offers employment and training opportunities primarily to women). She also acts as the goodwill ambassador of the UN Population Fund to promote these aims.
Rector Ágoston Szél referred to Bhutan as highly interesting and exciting; its culture as well as its spirituality. He described the concept of the Gross National Happiness created by the Kingdom and shown in the presentation as remarkable. Its central idea is that the happiness of the citizens and the improvement of the general well-being constitute a primary objective of the government since a country’s level of development cannot only be measured by financial, production and consumption factors (i.e. GDP indicator). Additionally, they also keep in mind that the improvement of the quality of life can only be undertaken while also protecting the natural and cultural environment as well as the well-functioning communities. This alternative system of measurement and the related government policies are being considered as a model worth implementing by the UN and many other national governments as well.
Dr. Ágoston Szél expressed his hope that the University’s community will have the opportunity to peek into the spirituality of the Country of the Dragon through the Bhutanese students and that thus we can learn from their unique perspectives.
According to the agreement, staff exchange programmes, joint research and other academic projects will be promoted as well.
Upon the ceremonial signature, Her Majesty the Queen Mother and the Rector opened the exclusive exhibition featuring artistic photos of Bhutan and Bhutanese life. On behalf of Her Majesty the Queen Mother, Barbara Riepl, honorary consul general, expressed her happiness that they can show the country’s beauty, spirituality and traditions – even if only in pictures – to those who visit the Salon. She emphasised that the Kingdom of Bhutan is still untouched but not isolated anymore. She compared the eastern country to the utopian land of Shangri-La, an isolated paradise-like place where people live according to the wishes of their hearts. She considers Bhutan as the only and last such place; “the last authentic place in the world” with the words of Bobby Gosh journalist. The exhibition will be open for visitors for two weeks in the Semmelweis Salon.
Pálma Dobozi
Marica Wild – Directorate of International Relations
Photo: Attila Kovács, Semmelweis University
Translated by: Bonifac Makkai
