Dr. Béla Merkely received the Honorary Professor title of Central South University from President Li Jiancheng on December 9. Previous recipients of the honor include academics and prominent scientists such as Nobel laureates Professor Mario Molina (chemistry) and Sir Martin Evans (medicine); Dr. Béla Merkely is the second rector from outside China to receive the award.
In his speech, he stressed that the two universities were linked by science more than anything else. “Our countries might be separated by over 6,000 kilometers, but we share a common goal. Our mission and principles are the same: To transfer the best possible knowledge at the highest possible level, advance science, and ensure that the results of research and innovation reach and benefit as many people as possible. We are equally determined and persistent in fulfilling these missions,” he pointed out.
Semmelweis University signed a cooperation agreement with the university located in Changsha, the capital of Hunan Province, in November 2024, following the 2018 Memorandum of Understanding. This laid the foundations for the exchange of faculty and students, joint research, and conferences involving the two universities. The Chinese institution’s education encompasses 14 disciplines, including medicine, and is 94th in ShanghaiRanking’s Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU).
A few days later, on December 12, the Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Cluj-Napoca also conferred the title of Doctor Honoris Causa on Dr. Béla Merkely in recognition of his exceptional achievements in the field of cardiology and health management, as well as his outstanding contribution to the advancement of science and medicine. The award was presented by Dr. Daniel Mureșan, President of the Senate at the university in Cluj-Napoca. Dr. Béla Merkely recalled that the two higher education institutions had been linked by an intensive exchange relationship based on bilateral agreements for twenty decades. Recently, the two universities have re-established contact through a training program jointly organized by Semmelweis University and Harvard Medical School, which will once again strengthen scientific collaboration. Dr. Béla Merkely gave a presentation on mentors and mentees building excellence together at Semmelweis University.
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With a history of almost 250 years, the university in Cluj-Napoca plays a key role in Romanian medical training and currently offers education in three languages, Romanian, English, and French.
Pálma Dobozi
Translation: Judit Szabados-Dőtsch
Image credit: Dr. Béla Merkely/Facebook
