At the event held in Samarkand, Jizzakh, and Tashkent from March 5-7, 2026, the Hungarian delegation was led by Dr. Béla Merkely, President of the Hungarian Rectors’ Conference and Rector of Semmelweis University. A more than thirty-strong Hungarian delegation participated in the forum. The central theme of the event was the future of higher education in the digital era, with a particular focus on the role of artificial intelligence, innovative educational models, and creating globally competitive universities. During the three-day program, representatives of Hungarian and Uzbek higher education institutions discussed further opportunities for cooperation through plenary sessions, thematic sessions, and bilateral consultations.
At the opening of the forum, Dr. Béla Merkely emphasized the strengthening of ties between the higher education institutions of the two countries. “Relations between Hungarian and Uzbek higher education actors have seen spectacular development in recent years: Dialogue and networking have now given rise to specific institutional collaborations, student mobility programs, and joint research projects. I am convinced that the partnerships now being formed will take our relations to the next level,” he stated.
The forum also provided an opportunity for participating universities to conclude new partnerships. Semmelweis University signed agreements with four Uzbek higher education institutions: Samarkand State Medical University, Tashkent State Medical University, Navoi State University, and the International University of Turkic States. The aim of these partnerships is to expand educational and research cooperation, strengthen student and faculty mobility, and launch joint scientific projects and training programs. In connection with the forum, the delegation also paid professional visits to Samarkand State Medical University and Tashkent State Medical University, where they discussed specific opportunities for future educational and research collaboration with the leaders of the institutions.
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The program continued on the second day in the city of Jizzakh, where the Hungarian and Uzbek delegations attended the opening of the INNO Technopark and gained an insight into the region’s industrial and innovation developments. The technology park seeks to facilitate the industrial application of research results and to support cooperation between universities and the corporate sector. To conclude the three-day program, on March 7, the Semmelweis University delegation visited the Uzbek Olympic Village, where they were received by Adkham Ikramov, Minister of Sports, and Oybek Kasimov, Secretary General of the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan. At the meeting, a memorandum of understanding was signed between Semmelweis University and the Ministry of Sports of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
The aim of the agreement is to strengthen professional and scientific cooperation in the fields of sports medicine, space medicine, and rehabilitation medicine. The partnership could create opportunities for launching joint research programs, training courses, and sports health projects, which may contribute to the development of competitive sports and sports science in both countries.
Semmelweis University was represented in the delegation by Dr. Béla Merkely, along with Dr. Tamás Hegedüs, Head of the Directorate of International Relations and Alumni Affairs, and Dr. Klaudia Vivien Nagy, Associate Professor and Chief Clinical Physician at the Department of Aviation and Space Medicine of the Városmajor Heart and Vascular Center.
Text and image: Directorate of International Relations and Alumni Affairs
Translation: Dr. Balázs Csizmadia
