The ceremonial meeting of the Senate held in the great hall of the NET building was opened by Dr. Béla Merkely, the rector of Semmelweis University. In his speech, he noted that those receiving their diploma have not only successfully completed their exams and practices, but have also, true to being students of a leading medical and health sciences institution of Central Europe, participated in the fight against the coronavirus. “You have shown an example to all of us – only with your help were we able to achieve that after many hard months, infection data are steadily improving and the worst period is hopefully behind us. You have not only worked for your diploma, but with your work in pandemic defense you have also played a part in being able to receive it today among worthy conditions,” said the rector.
Dr. Béla Merkely reminded those present that this was the university’s 250th academic year, which immediately followed the jubilee 250th anniversary of its foundation. “Instead of celebrating, Semmelweis Citizens once again found themselves in the front lines of the fight against the pandemic. Looking back now, we can say that with their persistent and brave actions, Semmelweis Citizens have become worthy of the legacy of their predecessors, the rector said, highlighting the university’s role in PCR testing, vaccinations, and the care of COVID patients, in which students also provided active help, while education continued at the institution as well. “The experiences of the past months will determine the kind of dentists you will become: responsible, committed professionals who serve their patients and who live up the legacy of our namesake Ignác Semmelweis,” noted Dr. Merkely. He pointed out that according to the 2021 ShanghaiRanking, the university’s dentistry training program is among the top 200 in the world. “This is the first time a Hungarian institution in this field has placed among the best in an international ranking, and it was able to achieved this as a specialized university,” he said.
Dániel Borbola, a candidate of Doctor of Dentistry, submitted the conferment request and then students took their solemn oath in three languages, promising that they would fulfill all aspects of their duties with utmost diligence. Following the oath, rector Dr. Béla Merkely, vice-rector for education Dr. Péter Hermann, and dean Dr. Gábor Gerber conferred the title of Doctor of Dentistry upon the graduates by congratulating each of them with a handshake. A total of 139 graduates received their diplomas at the ceremony, including 91 from the Hungarian, 36 from the English and 12 from the German programme. 22 people graduated summa cum laude, 113 cum laude and 4 with a grade of rite.
Gallery
In the name of graduates of the Hungarian programme, Dr. Dániel Borbola held a speech, in which he reminded those present of the extraordinary events of the past year. “One day we just got ordered to help the National Ambulance Service of a COVID hospital, while others also served as volunteers,” he said, noting that thanks to these experiences they have become not just got dentists but also doctors that can perform in special situations.
Dr. Kalantari Soltanieh Sam Gis and Dr. Kargahi Soroush spoke jointly on behalf of the graduates of the English language programme. They noted that they all came from different parts of the world but became not only classmates but friends and now colleagues as well. They looked back at the past years, thanking their parents, friends and teachers. “We are proud to have become dentists and learned to live abroad, and we are happy that we achieved all this together,” they said.
Dr. Ines Weißnegger and Dr. Hanna Moldovan represented the graduates of the German language programme, who also expressed their thanks to their teachers and families, and recalled some of the most notable moments of their time at the university.
Several awards were also presented at the ceremony to students, for their excellence in academic and research activities.
Dr. Gábor Gerber, dean of the faculty, greeted the newly conferred Doctors of Dentistry in his speech. He congratulated the graduates, reminding them that long years of dedicated hard work led them to their diploma today. “COVID-19 added an unexpected practical training part to your training, but your class performed more than 6000 work hours in the front lines as volunteers, in exemplary fashion,” the dean noted. He recalled that this graduating class received its diploma based on the new curriculum, launched in the 250th anniversary year, which not only made training more practice-oriented, but also introduced new and expanded clinical courses.
He said that the around 900 students studying at the faculty come from 37 countries. “It is no surprise that the Semmelweis diploma you are receiving is well-regarded in many countries, as it certifies that its bearer is prepared to treat patients in accordance with evidence-based medicine,” he stated. The dean pointed out the faculty’s high position on the Shanghai Ranking 2021 dentistry list, where it placed in the top 200, while in terms of citations it placed 58th, on the same level as Yale University.
Ádám Szabó
Translation: Tamás Deme
Photo: László Mudra
