The board decided to establish the Semmelweis Clinical Research Organization (CRO) Committee. It is responsible for the assessment, professional coordination, and support of investigator-initiated clinical research conducted at Semmelweis University. Unsponsored university clinical research projects that have obtained preliminary ethical approval may apply for funding from the CRO Committee, which can also provide assistance free of charge to support high-quality research. The three-member committee consists of Dr. Anita Kamondi, Professor at the Department of Neurosurgery and Neurointervention; Dr. Annamária Kosztin, Associate Professor in the Department of Cardiology at the Városmajor Heart and Vascular Center; and Dr. Annamária Ditta Zobor, Associate Professor at the Department of Ophthalmology.
A decision was made to renew the composition of the Habilitation Committee and the Equal Opportunities Committee. This was necessary in the case of the former due to the resignation of a committee member, and in the case of the latter due to the expiration of the committee’s mandate.
The Senate voted to amend certain provisions of the Organizational and Operational Rules (SZMSZ) and the Study and Examination Regulations (TVSZ). Accordingly, judges are no longer required to provide written questions in advance during the thesis defense for the master’s program in Clinical Translational Medicine. In addition, the provision in the TVSZ requiring that classes must end at 8:00 p.m. on school days was removed; furthermore, elective courses may also be held on Saturdays. These changes are necessary until Building 2 of the Basic Medical Science Center (EOK) is completed.
Certain provisions of the Remuneration and Benefits Policy (TJSZ) of the SZMSZ were also amended. Accordingly, the assessment of social circumstances and the determination of financial need will be restructured. The new approach involves classifying students into different categories based on their per capita income. The change also affects sports scholarships. First-year students at the university and students who have recently joined the Semmelweis University Sports Club will now be eligible to apply for the SE Outstanding Athlete Scholarship. The Semmelweis OSC Scholarship was established for prospective students who have demonstrated outstanding performance in competitive sports and are applying for university admission. The provisions regarding the János Bókay Scholarship were revised, and technical adjustments to the scholarship program were also implemented based on the experiences of the current semester. In addition, the structure of the TJSZ regulations was reviewed and amended. From the 2027/28 academic year onwards, tuition and other fees for first-year students will be adjusted. For English-language programs, for example, tuition fees that were previously set in USD will now be announced in EUR.
A decision was made to renew the composition of Semmelweis University’s Animal Welfare Committee and its Scientific Council, as well as to revise the latter’s rules of procedure, due to organizational changes and streamlining efforts.
The board approved the proposal on the development of patient care, education, and research systems at the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy. Based on the assessment of the current situation, the department’s operating environment requires improvements in several areas, particularly with regard to infrastructure, on-site operations, educational capacities, and human resources conditions. The main objective is to improve patient safety, human dignity, and the modern psychiatric care environment, as well as to enhance educational and research conditions, in addition to meeting increased care responsibilities. The project includes short-, medium-, and long-term plans. In the short term, renovation of the exterior, the basement, and the care facilities has already begun, and a day care unit has been established in the Merényi Clinical Block. Future plans include launching inpatient care at this same location, while at the Szent Rókus Clinical Block, there are plans to improve psychiatric inpatient and outpatient care and implement additional measures to enhance patient comfort. The launch of the program is also justified by the fact that in recent years, the number of people suffering from mental illness has increased significantly in Europe, including in Hungary.
The model curricula for the master’s degree programs in Evidence-Based General Medical and Clinical Psychology, Health Neuropsychology, and Psychobiology have been revised. Under the changes, the range of courses that count toward the grade point average has been expanded.
A decision has been made to introduce the course “Artificial Intelligence as a Learning Tool,” which aims to familiarize students with artificial intelligence (AI) tools that support learning and to enable them to use these tools in a critical manner. In connection with this, the medical school curriculum has been revised effective the 2026/27 academic year, and the aforementioned course is now listed as a compulsory subject. In addition, the number of class hours for several courses has increased; the name of one course was changed; the prerequisites for several courses were changed; and the assessment method for one course was changed from a practical exam to a practical grade. The curriculum for students who graduated from the Faculty of Dentistry and were admitted to the general medicine program at the Faculty of Medicine (ÁOK), as well as the ÁOK’s course requirements for the 2026/27 academic year, were also modified for the purpose of streamlining.
The board also made a decision regarding the call for applications for course coordinators at Asklepios Campus Hamburg.
The senators approved the Faculty of Health Sciences’ (ETK) model curriculum, effective from the 2026/27 academic year. An artificial intelligence course was incorporated into every program in the faculty’s academic portfolio; in undergraduate programs, it is offered as a mandatory non-credit course on thesis methodology, while in master’s programs and specialized continuing education programs, it is offered as a standalone course. As a result, the thesis procedure guidelines were also amended.
Amendments to the curriculum of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences (GYTK) were also approved. As a result, teaching the use of artificial intelligence was incorporated into the curriculum, and the system of prerequisites related to carrying over a subject was also modified.
The model curriculum for the Digital Healthcare Coordinator specialization within the Healthcare Coordinator undergraduate program at the Institute of Digital Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Public Administration (EKK) was also revised. Here, instruction in artificial intelligence will be incorporated into the existing first-semester course titled “Introduction to Higher Education”; in addition, a new mandatory non-credit course titled “Selection of Thesis Topics” will be introduced. The sample curriculum for the Health Services Management Training Center’s Data Science in Health MSc was revised to optimize the sequence of courses, eliminate overlaps, and integrate theory and project-based practical skills even more closely. In addition, a decision was made to introduce a new mandatory non-credit course titled “Fundamentals and Applications of Generative AI” in the other programs offered by the Health Services Management Training Center. The senators also received a briefing on the integration of artificial intelligence into the curriculum for certain programs at the EKK. At the faculty’s Institute of Mental Health, within the Interdisciplinary Family Studies MA program, the “Introduction to Literature Research” course and the “Family and Communication” course place even greater emphasis on the impact of AI on social reality; in the MA program in Social Work, AI instruction is integrated into “Thesis Seminar I” and the “Course Methodology” course; In the MSc program in Systemic Psychology, students learn about the role of AI in psychological counseling and its ethical implications as part of the “Systems-Oriented Psychological Interventions” course.
The senators were briefed on the changes to the class and exam schedule at the András Pető Faculty (PAK). This was necessary due to the inclusion of course material on artificial intelligence in the curriculum. At the faculty, AI is incorporated into the content of the mandatory non-credit course “Introduction to Higher Education,” the “Fundamentals of Research Methodology” course, and an elective course titled “Fundamentals of Scientific Research: Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education.”
The board was informed about organizational changes below the executive board level, affecting the internal structure of the Center of International Training Programs, the organizational structure of the Semmelweis University Clinical Center – Medical Directorate General; the internal structure of the Dean’s Office of the András Pető Faculty; and the organizational structure of the Directorate General for Legal and Administrative Affairs.
The senators voted in favor of a motion regarding the achievements of the university, which has undergone a model change, and its continued commitment to progress. As part of this, the Clinical Center’s progress and achievements were presented at the Senate’s previous meeting. They recalled that, at its first meeting of 2021, the body unanimously approved the proposal that Semmelweis University, with its six faculties, its public education and vocational training institutions, as well as its clinical center – which forms an integral part of its medical and health sciences education – would change its operating model as of August 1, 2021, and transition from state funding to foundation-based funding. Accordingly, the maintainer’s rights were transferred to the newly established Foundation for National Health Care and Medical Education (NEOA), the assets used by Semmelweis University became the university’s own property, and “the institution embarked on a path of development,” as described by the motion. In light of the impending changes, the board deemed it necessary to evaluate the university’s performance and issue a statement on the matter. Over the past five years, the total student enrollment has increased by 34 percent; in the 2025/26 academic year, it has exceeded 16,000, of which 5,778 are international students. The total number of active students in English- and German-language programs has doubled over the past 15 years, with two-thirds of this increase occurring in the last five years. State funding for public duties in higher education, vocational training, and public education reached nearly HUF 55 billion by 2025, compared to HUF 17 billion in 2020; revenue from tuition fees increased by 62 percent by 2025 compared to 2021. The university also made significant progress in education quality performance indicators: the student dropout rate decreased from 10.16 percent in 2022 to 5.83 percent by 2025, and the number of PhD and MD-PhD students also increased. As part of the curriculum reform, the entire system of medical and health sciences education was overhauled in two phases. The budget allocated for scholarships increased from HUF 2 billion in 2020 to 5.4 billion by 2025. The university has moved up in all higher education rankings; in the latest U.S. News list, Semmelweis ranks among the top 200 in five fields. The university has also shown steady improvement in quality performance indicators related to research. The number of scientific publications affiliated with the university has also increased, particularly those appearing in the top 10 or 25 percent of journals. The number of university employees has expanded significantly, from 8,933 in 2021 to 12,445 by 2025 – a trend driven in part by the integration of several institutes into the university as a result of successful mergers of recent years. The number of allied health professionals increased the most (by 52 percent), followed by a 38 percent increase in the number of employees with degrees working in medicine and other healthcare fields. The lowest employee turnover was observed in the theoretical teaching and research job category, while the highest – as is typical in the labor market – was seen in support roles. The average salary at the university has increased. Compared to the HUF 158 billion allocated for public service tasks in 2021, HUF 326 billion was available for this purpose in 2025. As a result of the property transfer associated with the transition to the new maintenance model, the university gained ownership of approximately 150 properties (approx. 380,000 square meters); this real estate portfolio subsequently continued to grow, reaching 527,000 square meters by 2025; of which the building stock acquired through merger is approximately 115,000 square meters. The amount allocated for investment and renovation over the past five years totaled HUF 150 billion. The Semmelweis University Sports Club has also made continuous progress in terms of its achievements. According to the rector’s report, the university’s Senate has not lost any responsibilities or decision-making authority as a result of the model change.
The senators decided on the recipients of the Pro Universitate Award and also discussed current personnel matters.
Ádám Szabó
Translation: Judit Dőtsch
Illustration: Attila Kovács – Semmelweis University
