The Senators decided to merge the Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology into the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology. The organizational unit used to be an external department attached to the National Musculoskeletal Institute (OMINT) but has been integrated into Semmelweis University as the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, so that an external department is no longer needed. The teaching unit continues to operate within the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology.
The part of the Organizational and Operational Rules (SzMSz) concerning the provisions on student fees has been amended. The relevant legislation provides for the possibility of exempting students who are in receipt of a Hungarian state scholarship from the payment of the fee, subject to the fulfilment of regulated conditions set by the institution. The Senate decided that students may be fully exempted from paying the fee for taking up more than ten percent of their credits.
Semmelweis University is expanding its role in water polo. The women’s water polo team of the Semmelweis University Sports Club (SE Sport Klub) has so far played in the OB I/B National Championship, the men’s team in OB II and the Budapest Championship. Semmelweis University’s OSC Water Polo Sport Association (OSC VSE) has one team playing in OB I/B and an older team playing in the Budapest Championship. It is planned that the athletes from these OSC VSE teams will transfer to the existing water polo division of the SE Sport Klub, where they will then compete in the Budapest Championship and in OB II next season. The OSC VSE junior athletes will also transfer to the Semmelweis University Sports Club. In addition to the transfers mentioned, the team of professional adult athletes belonging to OSC VSE’s sphere of interest will be able to transfer to a university-owned limited liability company, due to the decision of the Board to allow the university to acquire 100 percent of the business shares of a limited liability company with sports as its main activity. The acquisition of the limited liability company is justified by the fact that it has sufficient operational time and core activities to qualify for the sports subsidies provided by the Hungarian Water Polo Federation (MVLSZ) and thus to provide the organizational framework for the operation of professional water polo.
It was decided to modify the elective course named “Community service.” According to the Senate’s decision, the subject was introduced from the first semester of the academic year 2020/2021, once per semester, in 2×7 days, and it was worth 4 credits. In order to enable students who do not have the necessary previous training to volunteer for the course to participate in child hospice care, it was deemed necessary to introduce 2×3 hours of preparatory and experiential training for students. Under the amendment, within the framework of practical training, students will be given the opportunity to choose between 1×7 days of fieldwork for 2 credits or 2×7 days of fieldwork for 4 credits. The practical part of the course is taught at the Tábitha House, Hungary’s only children’s hospice.
Some provisions of the Organizational and Operational Rules have been amended in order to maintain and further develop international mobility programs, which is a key strategic objective of the university. Following the launch of the Pannónia Scholarship Programme and the evaluation of the experience of the first period, the organizational structure was modified: The Directorate of International Relations and the Alumni Directorate were merged to form a new unit, the Directorate of International Relations and Alumni Affairs, under the direction of the rector. In addition, a review of the tasks of the scholarship program led to a decision to differentiate the tasks and responsibilities related to the provision of these tasks in order to enable the university to use the available resources as efficiently and widely as possible.
An amendment to the Study and Examination Regulations within the Organizational and Operational Rules was also voted. The Senate had already decided to launch the Advanced Training in Social Service Management at the Health Services Management Training Center of the Faculty of Health and Public Administration (EKK), adopted its training and degree requirements, and the Educational Authority of Hungary registered and approved the course so that it could be started in the second semester of the 2024/2025 academic year. The admission requirements and the rules of the admission procedure for the new degree course had already been laid down in the Admission Regulations, but the provisions of the Study and Examination Regulations (TVSZ) should be supplemented by the way in which the diploma is calculated in relation to the new degree course. This is the same for the new degree course as for the other courses in the faculty.
A decision was taken on the extension of the organizational units belonging to the Center for Pharmacology and Drug Research & Development. Established in 2023 under the direct leadership of the rector, the center aims to maximize the opportunities for collaboration and the efficient use of resources in pharmacology education, research, and RDI services. According to the decision, the Institute of Clinical Data Management also joined the networked center.
The foreign language requirements in the model curricula for general medical training and for the training of students who have been admitted to the Faculty of Medicine (ÁOK) after graduating from the Faculty of Dentistry (FOK) were clarified. According to this, students who will complete or start their studies in the academic year 2025/2026 or later will be required to take a final examination in general English, which may be substituted by a B2 level complex type examination in English or an equivalent secondary school leaving certificate or diploma.
According to the decision of the Senators, the Plastic Surgery Departmental Group will be transformed into the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, which will be attached to the Department of Surgery, Transplantation and Gastroenterology (STéG). The university currently employs nine plastic surgeons with a specialized exam, four of whom work at STéG. The Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery would create an active operational system at ÁOK in terms of patient care, education, and research; its tasks involve harmonizing and integrating the plastic and reconstructive activities already carried out in the different disciplines of the university, as well as continuing to establish close professional and educational links with several patient care units of the university.
The fine-tuning of the model curricula developed in the Curriculum 2.0 project at the Faculty of Health Sciences (ETK) was approved. Minor changes were made based on teaching experience and student feedback.
They also voted on the application for the position of course leader at Asklepios Campus Hamburg and on bestowing Semmelweis University’s Outstanding Teacher Award; in addition, they reported on current applications for leadership positions.
Ádám Szabó
Translation: Dr. Balázs Csizmadia
Illustration: Attila Kovács – Semmelweis University
