The students of the School of PhD Studies are receiving their PhD degree in an unconventional way, by mail. PhD students would have been awarded with their PhD degree in the framework of the Dies Academicus ceremony, but in view of the current epidemiological situation and because of the governmental measures related to events, the ceremony cannot be held this year. Dr. Béla Merkely congratulated the students on receiving their PhD degree in both a greeting written for the ceremony as well as in a letter addressed to the students. The rector expressed his gratitude for the employees and students of Semmelweis University who participated in the COVID patient care of the university. In 2020, the number of students who completed their doctoral thesis and merited the PhD degree is 118: out of them 104 students received a summa cum laude degree, 13 students received a cum laude degree and 1 student received a rite degree.
The University Day, that is to say the Dies Academicus ceremony is traditionally organized close to November 7, which is the birthday of the institution. This year the ceremony was originally planned for November 11, but in view of the current epidemiological situation and because of the governmental measures related to events, it could not be held. The PhD degrees and award certificates will be sent to the PhD students and the awardees in the forthcoming days by mail.
In his greeting written for the ceremony, Dr. Béla Merkely highlighted that it is very important to stop for a second, despite the current epidemiological situation and hard work, to celebrate those who performed an achievement worthy of appreciation.
“Dies Academicus is one of the significant celebrations of the scientific life of our university. This is the celebration of our recently inaugurated PhD doctors, our outstanding professors and of the achievements carried out for the university. It is a pleasure that the number of our PhD students has doubled in the past two academic years”, pointed out the rector.
Semmelweis University has performed extremely well in the fields of education, research-innovation and health care in the recent years. Not only did our university manage to become one of the best 250 higher education institutions in the Times Higher Education ranking by moving 87 places up, but education also accustomed to the unconventional situation in a rapid and adaptable way. In the fight against COVID-19 epidemic, the university’s prominent role in health care and scientific work was also remarkable – said he.
Dr. Béla Merkely talked about the current pandemic situation, and he thanked the work of the staff who participate in the fight against the virus.
“The citizens of our university, our medical specialists, our residents, our medical personnel and our students testify every single day about their exemplary persistence, professional dedication, which is even more appreciated these days”, said the rector.
Dr. Merkely highlighted those employees who work in COVID patient care as well as those volunteering medical students who have been providing support at the university PCR testing since August and several weeks ago they started contributing to the sample taking procedure organized by the National Ambulance Service as well.
“The most important value of Semmelweis University can be found in its human resources. The dedication, courage and loyalty of colleagues and students facilitate us to be able to prepare for the repetition of the national screening survey conducted in spring, the significance of which will again be beyond our university. According to my viewpoint, it would be worthwile to carry out a new representative survey after the peak of the pandemic or during the plateau stage, connected to the availability of the vaccination against COVID-19, in order to define how many people have been infected and to see the level of infection in various age groups”, he said.
“I cannot deny, until the availability of the vaccination, we will have to face such difficulties, for which it is impossible just to prepare at school. Talent emerges silently and slowly, but the character shows itself within moments, in the life-changing moments”, pointed out the rector.
Dr. Merkely reminded the PhD students and colleagues that in difficult moments they will need knowledge, sense and intelligence, but they possess all these already.
“The real trial is to have your mind dominating beyond feelings and the fatigue of the body. Please remain determined, strong and dedicated doctors who never forget about their oath even in the most difficult moments”, emphasized the rector.
Medical and biological research have not received such general publicity for a long time than they do today, when the entire world intently watch the results of the scientific efforts targeting the operation of coronavirus, the emergence of the infection’s symptoms, the pattern of the spread of the epidemic and the opportunities of its restraint, the prevention and treatment of the disease – pointed out Dr. Zoltán Benyó, president of the Doctoral Council. There are several research methods and theoretical knowledge in the fight against the virus, which suddenly have become the motor of vaccination- and drug development, even though there did not seem to be a realistic prospect of their practical utilization in the near future – said he. These may provide hope for us that the epidemic will be conquerable in a reasonable time. The boundaries between theoretical knowledge and applied developments are broken down, the research community as a whole serves together the well-being of humankind – highlighted Dr. Benyó.
He also talked about the establishment of a new scholarship program, the so-called cooperative PhD program, which aims to facilitate the social relevance of researches. The scholarship program was started this summer, in the framework of which research projects are being carried out in cooperation with an industrial partner or biotech company besides a collective academic and industrial-professional leadership. Several dozens of research groups of Semmelweis University have rapidly reacted to this new opportunity and they handed in a scholarship application – said Dr. Benyó. According to him, by awarding a PhD degree, the Doctoral Council testifies that the awardees are capable of working on scientific projects independently. The doctoral school is the top level of higher education, the most talented graduate students become PhD students, therefore it is an especially honourable task to award PhD degrees – emphasized the president of the Doctoral Council.
In 2020, the number of students who completed their doctoral thesis and merited the PhD degree is 118: out of them 104 students received a summa cum laude degree, 13 students received a cum laude degree and 1 student received a rite degree. Please find the list of PhD students who were awarded with a PhD degree here.
In 2020, the Outstanding Professor of PhD Students Award was awarded by the Doctoral Council to Dr. Erzsébet Ligeti, deputy head of the Department of Physiology; to Dr. Romána Zelkó, institute director of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and to Dr. Gábor Varga, head of the Department of Oral Biology.
In the academic year of 2019/2020, 14 professors received a Habilitation Award.
Dr. András Kiss was awarded with a private professor title. The honorary professor title was awarded to Dr. Gábor László Gazdag, Dr. László Herszényi and Dr. Péter László Lakatos. The master instructor title was awarded to Dr. Lóránt Bertalan and Dr. Andrea Molnár.
Gréta Czibere and Kristóf Németh, students of the Faculty of Medicine, received this year’s student award of Antal Generisch Foundation. Dr. Péter Sótonyi, forensic medical expert, academic, received the forensic doctor award; Dr. Mihály Bak, Doctor of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, received the oncology award; Dr. Edit Oláh, member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, received the academic award; Dr. Melinda Simma, head physician, received the award of beyond the frontier. A special award was awarded to Dr. Levente Emődy, professor emeritus, and Dr. Péter Szendrő, professor. In 2020, the board of trustees awarded a Generisch special award to Dr. István Vályi-Nagy, university private professor and to Dr. János Szlávik, department head in recognition of their merits in the current epidemiological situation.
The Outstanding Doctoral Student Award of Semmelweis University Association of Friends was awarded to three awardees: Emese Molnár (theme leader: Dr. Hajnalka Andrikovics, South-Pest Central Hospital, National Institute of Hematology and Infectology); Márton Tokodi (theme leader: Dr. Attila Kovács, Heart and Vascular Center) and Balázs Pósfai (theme leader: Ádám Dénes, Csaba Cserp, Institute of Experimental Medicine). The award certificates will be awarded to the recipients on the occasion of the PhD Scientific Days in 2021.
Ádám Szabó
Photo (taken on a previous occasion): Attila Kovács – Semmelweis University
Translation: Katalin Illés-Romhányi
