At the beginning of the ceremony held on July 18, Hungarian Ambassador to Germany Dr. Péter Györkös welcomed the guests from Hamburg and all over the country, after which Dr. Karl Jürgen Oldhafer, Rector’s Commissioner and Dean’s Commissioner of Asklepios Campus Hamburg, addressed the graduates and their parents: “Dear Parents! You can be proud of your children, who you can say have managed to complete these six years of study. Let us give them a round of applause!”
Afterwards, Dr. Béla Merkely, Rector of Semmelweis University, officially opened the Senate meeting. Following the welcome speeches, the graduates took their medical oaths and received their Doctor of Medicine degrees. Led by Dr. Péter Nyirády, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine (ÁOK), the 46 graduating students took their medical oaths together, and then Dr. Louisa Marie Lösert, the top student of the class, was the first to be congratulated, followed by Dr. Béla Merkely and Dr. Péter Nyirády shaking hands with the graduates to welcome them into the medical profession. The medical sash was placed on the shoulders of the newly graduated doctors by Dr. Karl Jürgen Oldhafer.
After welcome addresses by representatives of the graduating class and Dr. Joel Lüthy, Alumni President of ACH, the program continued with a speech by Rector Dr. Béla Merkely, who emphasized that the newly graduated students had received their diplomas in the building of the Embassy of Hungary in Berlin, at Hungary’s prestigious and most distinguished medical university.
Semmelweis University is not only Hungary’s largest medical institution today, but also one of Europe’s leading institutions in its field, recognized worldwide as a center of knowledge. In the spirit of internationalism, we are constantly strengthening our foreign relations. One of the most important parts of this is our cooperation with Asklepios Campus Hamburg, which for 17 years has been contributing to our ever-greater success in the fields of medicine and health sciences through our cross-border cooperation. – Dr. Béla Merkely
In 2008, Semmelweis University signed an agreement with the Asklepios Clinics Group, one of the largest clinic networks in Germany, which resulted in the creation of Asklepios Campus Hamburg (ACH), a Hamburg-based faculty within the Faculty of Medicine (ÁOK). After the first two years of theoretical education, students in the German-language program can continue their studies at ACH in Hamburg from the third year, while German lecturers have the opportunity to obtain habilitation, an appointment as subject leader, and a professorship thanks to Semmelweis University.
This year, two German lecturers received awards as part of the graduation ceremony: Dr. Claudia Schnabel, member of staff at ACH’s Institute of Laboratory Medicine, who obtained her habilitation this academic year and is thus entitled to bear the title “Habilitated Doctor of Semmelweis University”; and Dr. Christopher Netsch, Chief Physician at the Department of Urology at Asklepios Kliniken Barmbek, who was appointed subject leader.
The ceremony was closed with a speech by Dr. Sara Sheikzadeh, Medical Director of Asklepios Kliniken.
At the end of the event, the new doctors, together with the university leadership and ACH staff, walked to the Brandenburg Gate for a group photo, where the 46 new medical doctors happily threw their hats in the air.
As Rector Dr. Béla Merkely said on this occasion:
“Cherish these moments in your hearts and minds, and never, not even for a moment, forget the proud and uplifting feeling that fills you now! This could lay the foundation for your self-confidence and motivation, which could give you further momentum in your professional careers.”
Judit Szlovák, Directorate of International Relations and Alumni Affairs
Translation: Dr. Balázs Csizmadia
Photos by Christian Bruch
