On 6 August 2025, Semmelweis University welcomed the delegation of Manara University from Iraq. The purpose of the visit was to renew the existing cooperation agreement between the two institutions.
The official signing ceremony was attended by Dr. Éva Szabó Feketéné, Vice-Rector for Strategy and Development at Semmelweis University; Levente Béla Vágó, Deputy Director of the Directorate of International Relations and Alumni; Dr. Vilmos Ivády, Rector’s Commissioner; István Heves, Semmelweis University’s Representative of Iraq; and Antal Nikl, International Project Manager of Semmelweis Premium. Representing Manara University were Prof. Dr. Abdul-Basit Mohsen Ayal, President of the University, and Prof. Haider H. Dahm, PhD, Vice-President.
The ceremony was opened by Dr. Vilmos Ivády, who gave an overview of the achievements of the collaboration to date. He highlighted, among other milestones, the implementation of fee-paying education programs for Iraqi pharmacy and dentistry students, the clinical professional programs for Iraqi doctors launched in September 2024, and the involvement of Hungarian experts in the design of a new teaching hospital.
Following this, Dr. Éva Szabó Feketéné welcomed the guests and emphasized that the renewed agreement pays particular attention to addressing the challenges that arose during the previous phase of the cooperation.
In his speech, Prof. Dr. Abdul-Basit Mohsen Ayal presented the development path of the institution, noting that the Al-Manara College for Medical Sciences, established in 2017, has achieved significant infrastructural and academic progress over recent years. As a result, in June 2024, the Iraqi Ministry of Higher Education officially granted university status to the institution under the name Manara University. He underlined that, for Manara University as a young and developing private university, strengthening ties with a prestigious European medical university like Semmelweis represents a particularly valuable opportunity. He also stressed that the new cooperation agreement not only deepens existing relations but also opens the door for reviving previously envisioned joint initiatives that had not yet come to fruition.
The ceremony concluded with the formal signing of the renewed agreement. The Iraqi delegation extended a cordial invitation to the leadership of Semmelweis University to visit Manara University in the near future.