Faculty of Medicine
At the graduation ceremony of the Faculty of Medicine (ÁOK), a total of 492 graduates were awarded their medical degrees: 291 from the Hungarian-language, 34 from the German-language, and 149 from the English-language program – of the latter, 18 students had already taken their oaths on June 9. Including graduates from the Asklepios Campus Hamburg (ACH) and those who received their degrees earlier, a total of 587 students graduated this year.
In his welcome speech, Dr. Béla Merkely, Rector of Semmelweis University, emphasized that the recent graduates had not only fulfilled their dreams but also earned their degrees from the best university in the country and the region. “If Semmelweis University has done a good job over the past six years – and I believe it has – then there can be no contradiction within you between ideals and routine, theory and practice, a sense of vocation and the daily struggle. You have completed your studies within the framework of our curriculum reform, which prioritizes practice-oriented training and responds sensitively to changing needs, thereby gaining experience in clinical work at the patients’ bedsides. However, our university’s goal was not merely to impart knowledge: It was to ensure that neither textbooks, nor lab results, nor the individual details studied would obscure the whole person from your view,” the rector pointed out, adding:
“Throughout your lives, you will remember how and with whom you have made it this far. You will remember not only the knowledge you have acquired here, but also the lifelong friendships, and perhaps even romances, the beauty of Budapest, the Students’ Union events, the Medic’s Cups – and the fact that you experienced one of the most defining periods of your lives as Semmelweis students.
Following the trilingual oath-taking ceremony, Dr. Péter Nyirády, Dean of ÁOK, conferred the title of Doctor of Medicine upon the graduates in recognition of their successful studies, endowing them with all the rights and duties to which doctors are entitled under Hungarian law. Dr. Béla Merkely and Dr. Péter Nyirády then welcomed the new doctors into the medical community with a handshake.
“You have not merely received a diploma; a dream of yours has come true. A dream that, for many of you, most likely began in childhood. However, today does not mark the end of a journey; on the contrary, it marks the beginning of a lifelong vocation. Starting today, you are doctors,” said Dr. Péter Nyirády in his commencement address, noting that this title signified professional recognition, social esteem, and enormous responsibility all at once.
On behalf of the medical students who participated in the English-language program, Dr. Julia Greta Hollosi delivered a speech, noting that today they had not merely received their diplomas, but had also been entrusted with a calling. She reminded her newly graduated peers that medicine was not just about memorizing facts, but about problem-solving, as patients placed their lives in their hands. “Studying at Semmelweis University has always been something special. Few medical universities bring together so many different cultures, languages, and perspectives from all corners of the world,” she stressed.
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András Pető Faculty and Institute of Languages for Specific Purposes
A total of 126 students received their diplomas in the Ceremonial Hall of NET at the graduation ceremony of the András Pető Faculty (PAK): 86 graduated as conductors, of whom 76 had studied in the Hungarian-language program in Budapest, eight in the program in the Ilieni (Illyefalva), Romania training center, and two completed their studies in English.
“Here in one room are our young bachelor’s degree holders at the very beginning of their careers, our colleagues with master’s degrees who already have several years of experience in various fields of physical rehabilitation, and teachers working in special educational services who have obtained their specialist professional qualification,” underlined Dr. Andrea Zsebe, Dean of PAK. As she pointed out, this was the result of curriculum development over the past 10 years. She added that altogether 126 diplomas were awarded at the graduation ceremony – a record number – and this brought the total number of professionals with a degree in conductive education to 2,735.
On behalf of the students in the English-language program, Sara Yasser Bader shared her thoughts with the audience, expressing gratitude to God, her family, and the faculty who had guided her and her fellow students over the past four years.
A total of 25 students graduated this year from three programs at Semmelweis University’s Institute of Languages for Specific Purposes. Graduates of the medical interpreter and translator postgraduate training in both the English-Hungarian and the German-Hungarian language pairs, as well as students from the very first cohort of the new Scientific Editor postgraduate training received their diplomas in the Semmelweis Salon.
Dr. Katalin Fogarasi, Director of the Institute of Languages for Specific Purposes, noted that through the Scientific Editor program, the seven Hungarian and international students who graduated here had mastered the highest standards of scientific communication, including methods of text editing, proofreading, and quality assurance. “In their work, they do not merely correct texts but also help ensure that scientific findings are presented accurately, clearly, and in a form that is internationally credible,” she said.
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Faculty of Health Sciences and Faculty of Dentistry
During the 2025–2026 academic year, a total of 851 students graduated from the Budapest campus of Semmelweis University’s Faculty of Health Sciences (ETK). In honor of the graduates, two ceremonial Senate meetings were held on July 11 at the Budapest Congress Center: In the morning, 355 students – including 96 graduates of the English-language program – were conferred their degrees, and in the afternoon, 324 new graduates were honored. At the morning ceremony, Rector Dr. Béla Merkely extended a special welcome to the international students, including the first graduating class of the English-language Dietetics BSc as well as Health Care Management BSc with Health Tourism Management Specialization programs.
In her commencement address, Dr. Gabriella Dörnyei Bednárik, Dean of ETK, recalled that over the past five decades, the institution had become a leading player in health sciences education in Hungary, and that the recent graduates had already begun their studies under the revised curriculum in the modern building named after Zsuzsanna Kossuth, Hungary’s first head nurse.
On behalf of the students who graduated from the English-language program, physiotherapist Yael Lea Rosen bid farewell to her classmates. In her speech, she noted that the international students had begun their studies far from their families, but at Semmelweis University they had found a community that supported them through the challenges of the past few years. She thanked their instructors, families, and her classmates for their support, adding that wherever they pursued their careers, they would carry with them the knowledge and values gained at Semmelweis University to do good for others around the world.
A total of 165 newly graduated dentists and seven digital dental designers received their diplomas at the ceremonial Senate meeting of Semmelweis University’s Faculty of Dentistry (FOK). In the 2025–2026 academic year, 89 students successfully completed their studies in Hungarian, 60 in English, and 16 in German. As Dr. Gábor Gerber, Dean of FOK, highlighted in his congratulatory remarks:
You prepared for your university studies during a challenging period, as the preceding year and a half was complicated by recurring waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, you have managed to become the most outstanding graduating class of the past 20 years in terms of degree honors – it is an impressive achievement that 40 percent of the students graduated summa cum laude.
Speaking on behalf of the English-language graduating class, Dr. Karen George Yousef reflected on how the university had shaped their personalities, helping them realize that being a dentist involved much more than theoretical and technical knowledge; their profession was about patience, problem-solving, and, above all, empathy. She thanked their instructors for encouraging them to think more deeply and always to strive for excellence.
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Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Graduation Ball
106 pharmacy students of the Hungarian, 29 of the English, and three of the German-language programs received their diplomas on July 12, 2026, at the graduation ceremony of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences (GYTK) held at the Budapest Congress Center. Rector Dr. Béla Merkely and GYTK Dean Dr. István Antal welcomed the graduates as doctors of pharmacy with a handshake. Dr. Béla Merkely extended a special welcome to the international students, whom he described as ambassadors for Semmelweis University.
“Becoming a pharmacist means adopting a scientific perspective,” said Dr. István Antal in his address to the graduates. He pointed out that, as pharmacists, they possessed both the skills and the qualifications required for the profession, they were able to prepare medications, ensure the quality of production, and advise patients on medications and their proper use; they could also participate in research and development. “However, becoming a pharmacist also means that, in addition to knowledge and skills, you have acquired an appropriate professional code of conduct and ethics,” he stated.
Speaking on behalf of the pharmacists who had studied in the English-language program, Dr. Livia Pelepciuc emphasized that although they came from different countries, cultures, and backgrounds – each with their own dreams and challenges – today, despite all their differences, they were united by what they had achieved and the career they were about to embark upon. She noted that the friendships and memories formed here would always remain the most valuable parts of their pharmacy education.
Elegance, festivity, and unforgettable moments characterized the 2026 Semmelweis Graduation Ball, which was held this year in the building of the Castle Garden Bazaar on July 4. The event served as a fitting conclusion to the graduating students’ university years, as it provided an opportunity for them to celebrate this defining moment together with their family members, friends, faculty, and classmates. The evening was not only about shared memories of the past years but also symbolized the beginning of a new chapter in their lives.
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Anna Donáth, Eszter Keresztes, Melinda Katalin Kiss, Hanna Patkó, Ádám Szabó, Anita Szepesi, Róbert Tasnádi
Translation: Dr. Balázs Csizmadia
Photos by Bálint Barta, Boglárka Zellei – Semmelweis University
