Semmelweis University Faculty of Health Sciences students have the opportunity to join a Blended Intensive Program course organised by Universidade Católica Portuguesa Porto (Portugal), which is entitled “Diversity and Social Inclusion”.
The program aims to increase awareness of social inequalities in diverse contemporary societies by training future educators, healthcare professionals, and social workers using a cultural competence model with blended learning. It addresses how cultural differences become problematic when viewed through power dynamics between majority and minority groups, leading to marginalization, and how socio-economic disparities connect to health inequalities and limited access to services. Since these future professionals will work to bridge social gaps, their training emphasizes developing socio-cultural sensitivity, intercultural communication, and cooperation skills to better serve vulnerable populations who are often excluded from dominant institutional discourse. The central method will be ‘focused study visits’ in the urban environment as context.
The program will contain two assignments completed in distance learning, involving cooperation with other students from different countries, as well as a 5-day intensive in-person training at the premises of the program organiser, in this case in Porto, Portugal. Students whose application is accepted for the course will receive HUF 192 500/person to cover travel and accommodation costs involved (of which EUR 75/person shall be paid for the lunches provided by the host).
Learning outcomes – objectives
- The student defies the central concepts of social inclusion; diversity, equality, freedom and responsibility.
- The student is able to thematise instances of different social inequalities in key areas of social life: home life, work/school/studying and when having free time.
- The student describes and is aware about the importance of cultural sensitivity, intercultural communication and cooperation skills as core competences for future professionals.
- The student is able to apply the knowledge by doing case based interdisciplinary grounded problem solving.
Additional information is available here.
Validation
3 ECTS credits for Semmelweis University Faculty of Health Sciences students (in Neptun, please sign up for the subject EBVATATT494A – A diverzitás és társadalmi inklúzió eü-i vetületei / Health aspects of diversity and social inclusion).
Dates
- virtual studies prior to the in-person study tour
- face-to-face education in Porto, Portugal: 20-24 April 2026 (travel days: 19 and 25 April)
Application
Please send your CV together with a maximum 1-page Motivational letter to kaman.eva.maria@semmelweis.hu by 12:00 am on 23 January. Applicants will be called for an interview scheduled for 2:00 pm on 27 January and the results of the application procedure will be announced shortly afterwards.