In his welcome speech, Rector Dr. Béla Merkely pointed out that the traditional Christmas Tea was a good opportunity to pause for a while in the spirit of Advent, the sacred time of waiting. He also shared a story by Nobel Prize-winning Swedish author Selma Lagerlöf about a shepherd who witnessed the miracle of Jesus’ birth. This is the season of longing for a miracle, the rector noted.
“We can witness the awakening of hope not only at Christmas time but also every day when people experience faith and the miracle of healing and recovery thanks to the sacrifice of medical and health professionals,” said Dr. Béla Merkely. This often requires devoted work, with little rest, so the holidays are a great occasion for everyone to stop and celebrate together the successes that Semmelweis University, the ‘Semmelweis Family’ has achieved together this year. Highlighting the main achievements, he referred, among others, to the outstanding results in higher education rankings and the expansion of the patient care portfolio, which now includes neurosurgery, neurointervention, and rehabilitation. He also described the establishment of the John von Neumann Institute for Data Science as a historic event, which would lead to even closer scientific cooperation with 2023 Nobel laureate Dr. Ferenc Krausz.
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Looking to the future, Dr. Béla Merkely said that in 2025, more than HUF 50 billion would be spent on construction and infrastructure development, the largest amount ever in the history of the university. The National Medical Innovation Training Center and the Városmajor 70 project will be completed; the Ferenc Square campus is under construction; the Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology is being renovated; the construction plans for the Hőgyes-Schöpf-Merei Pharmaceutical Research Center are being prepared; EOK (Basic Medical Science Center) 2, the Science Park, and the Department of Public Dental Health (FSZOI) are in the planning phase; and the construction plans for the renewal of the Department of Dermatology are being prepared, the rector explained. As he pointed out, “our successes so far, just like our future achievements, would be unthinkable without your hard work and dedication.”
“We are all members of the most sacred community in life: a community of people who are able and willing to love,” said Chancellor Dr. Lívia Pavlik in her speech. We talk a lot about love around Christmas, but it should be important every day because love never ceases, even if we are surrounded by many other emotions in our daily lives, she remarked. She shared a story about this experience, the moral being that among all the emotions, only Time understands how important Love is in life. The relationship between Time and Love is rounded off by Peace, the chancellor underlined.
The festive atmosphere was enriched with performances by the Medic Orchestra and the Semmelweis Choir. The orchestra played Dunstable’s Quam Pulchra Es and Bach-Stravinsky’s F major Fugue, while the choir sang Irving Berlin’s White Christmas and Wolfgang Kelber’s Glorious Kingdom. In keeping with tradition, the event concluded with a standing reception and relaxed conversations.
Eszter Keresztes
Translation: Judit Szabados-Dőtsch
Photos by Boglárka Zellei – Semmelweis University
