The 2-day online FestiWell event featured panel discussions and lectures with international healthcare professionals. The lectures touched upon topics related to well-being, sustainability and equal opportunities, as well as the mobility opportunities between EUniWell partner institutions, researches related to individual, societal, and environmental well-being and the good practices of open education within EUniWell.
Semmelweis University organized Well-Being Day in the Basic Medical Science Center in parallel to the FestiWell events. Participants of the Semmelweis Well-Being Days could attend free medical screenings provided by the Semmelweis Health Development Center and different kinds of art, recreation and sport activities. Dr. Miklós Kellermayer (dean of the Faculty of Medicine and professional leader of EUniWell), dr. Marcel Pop (director of International Relations), dr. Magor Pap (director of the Health Development Center), Sloan Kudrinko (board member of the International Semmelweis Student Association) and the members of the EUniWell’s Student Board held an interactive workshop, where students had a chance to share their thoughts and opinions and formulate ideas for promoting and enhancing individual and universal well-being. The organisers of the event also conducted an online query about the students’ interest in the EUniWell partner universities and their mobility needs. The last event of Semmelweis Well-Being Day featured and inspiring conversation with paralympic athlete and world record holder Luca Ekler.
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The EUniWell Open Lecture Series was opened by Prof. Botond Roska, director at the Institute for Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, visiting professor and former student of Semmelweis University. Prof. Roska’s English lecture about “Restoring vision” was webcasted live. The lecture was led by the moderator prof. Miklós Kellermayer, dean of the Faculty of Medicine, professional leader of EUniWell.
Dr. Botond Roska presented the findings of his research related to restoring vision and slowing down progression to vision loss.
Prof. Roska and his research team have shown that optogenetic therapy can help individuals with retinitis pigmentosa (rare eye disease) partially regain their sight.
As shown on the video footage made during research, the patient’s worse eye was injected with a gene therapy vector and later had to locate different objects set on a table with the help of special, “smart” goggles. Dr. Botond Roska pointed out that the goggles are connected to a processing unit that runs the software. It is necessary to train the patients and give them instructions on how to interpret these new impulses. “We were able to reach similar results with a number of patients. In the near future we aim to develop 3-4 therapies with different approaches, so we can select the most appropriate treatment for every patient. Prof. Roska’s lecture on “Restoring vision” will be available on the official page of EUniWell and on EUniWell’s Youtube channel.
Participants could also get detailed information on the third EUniWell Seed Funding Call. The proposals for the third call can be submitted between 14 October 2021 and 5 December 2021. The Seed Funding Programme is intended to bring together students, researchers, educators, and administrators from the 7 partner universities and collaborate on projects which contribute to further deepening the mutual bonds between universities and create even more innovative ideas to foster well-being.
EUniWell will organize an Information Zoom meeting on 29 October and 10 November and a workshop on 12 November teaching the basic principles of successful proposal writing for students. The official call for project proposals and the application guide can be downloaded from EUniWell’s official page:
https://www.euniwell.eu/participate/call-for-joint-projects
Directorate of International Relations
Photo: Attila Kovács – Semmelweis University
Translation: Norbert Lukács