Semmelweis University is an internationally-renowned, well-known and recognized higher education institution that is a regional leader in the field of medical and health sciences. However, in the framework that determines its current day-to-day operations, it has reached the limit of its development. In order to adapt proactively to the global higher education market, participate in world-class international research activities and modernize clinical patient care, a more flexible operating structure is required. The model change can provide a new direction for the university’s future and put it on a new, dynamic development path. The new, more flexible structure will make possible for the university to better meet the social, economic and knowledge industry challenges, as well as the expectations for high quality.
University-owned infrastructure, increasing independence in management
Under the new system, the university will no longer be maintained directly by the state, while the infrastructure that is directly needed to exercise its function will be placed under its ownership. It will have a wider maneuvering room in managing its own assets, it will have more freedom in financial management, and the university will be able to enact more flexible procedural and procurement rules. The administrative burden will decrease and decisionmaking mechanism can be simplified. The new operating model also opens the way to offer a wider range of possibilities to motivate and incentivize workers, while several guarantees will be implemented to prevent workers from losing any of the rights or benefits they have enjoyed so far, or the opportunities provided by the career model programs that have been enacted.
Training the best medical and health science experts in Europe
The change in the operating model will not affect negatively the type, composition or size of state-financed training programs, meaning that the number of state-financed student positions will not decrease, and neither will the benefits afforded to students (e.g. scholarship, stipend, dormitory). At the same time, the model change will open up new opportunities. The goal is for Semmelweis University to train the best physicians, dentists, pharmacists, conductors, health care professionals and managers in Europe. The number of international students has been growing continuously, and with the planned investments and developments, the institution could become a powerhouse of medical training in the European Union, as well as opening toward countries outside the EU.
Unchanged patient care, increasing quality of clinical background
With the model change, the university’s social security-financed patient care activity will remain unchanged, while the change will make possible further increasing its quality, as well as building out a full portfolio of services for the public, thus increasing the health security of Hungarians and their trust toward health care services.
Major health and pharmaceutical industry investments
The new operating model will support developments in the health and pharmaceutical industries, in line with national strategic goals, placing priority on cooperations with national industry, and attracting funding through collaborations with the international private sector.
Overall, the new operating form, the “Semmelweis model,” as well as the associated developments, will contribute to creating a world-class medical and health sciences university, and to meeting the goal of making Semmelweis University one of the top 100 universities in the world, as well as one of the top five medical universities in Europe.