The website of the Directorate of International Relations received first prize of Tempus Public Foundation’s (Tempus Közalapítvány) tender in the category of website development. Tempus Public Foundation is a non-profit organisation managing international co-operation programmes and projects in the field of education and EU-related issues.
The importance of the website was highlighted at the award ceremony by setting it as an example for institutions which strive to build and maintain international partnerships. The creators of the website took ergonomic and accessibility principles into consideration and aimed at creating a more prominent presence for the university on the international market while increasing its competitiveness and strengthening international relations. The award was handed over to Bonifác Makkai, project coordinator of the Directorate of International Relations in charge of the tender. He pointed out that living in a digital era means acquisition of information from the internet, therefore an institution of higher education must have an international website aligned with its international strategy.
The tender “The International Development of Higher Education” was published by Tempus Public Foundation in April 2014 and seven awards were handed out in three categories at the ceremony. In his speech Dr. László Palkovics, Minister of State for Higher Education emphasized the importance of enhancing the appeal, recognition, and international development of higher education in order to strengthen Hungary’s competitiveness. The purpose of the award is to acknowledge and encourage endeavours made towards internationalisation.
“The issues arising in connection with internationalisation have become of increasing importance for institutions of higher education, which is indicated by the great interest in the conference that hosted the award ceremony”, said Dr. Marcel Pop, Director of International Affairs. Internationalisation means mobility programmes for students, educators and researchers, projects carried out within the framework of international agreements, foreign language education and the provision of double degrees. The director said that the development of international relations have always been of priority at Semmelweis University, which is reflected by the website and is acknowledged by this award. He pointed out that the maintenance of competitiveness requires dynamic developments that are greatly supported by the website ensuring the university’s international presence.
The director considers the university’s website-system, created by the Directorate of Marketing and Communication, to be entitled to the award as well, as the website of the Directorate of International Relations needs to comply with the homogenous layout of the structure.
The website of the Directorate of International Relations displays interactive maps showing the university’s partner institutions, provides up-to-date information on various tenders, bilateral agreements of the highest priority, off-campus programmes and illustrates the international relations on diagrams.
Pálma Dobozi
Photo: Attila Kovács, Semmelweis Egyetem
Translated by: Ágnes Raubinek
