Ahead of the official opening of the 2026/2027 academic year, Prof. Dr. Béla Merkely, Rector of Semmelweis University, met with Gong Tao, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to Hungary, on 6 September. The discussion focused on Semmelweis University’s steadily expanding network of Chinese partnerships, the growing presence of Chinese students at the University, and further opportunities for cooperation in education, research and mobility.
During the meeting, Prof. Dr. Béla Merkely provided an overview of the development of Semmelweis University’s relations with China, which have expanded significantly in recent years both at institutional level and in terms of student numbers. Gong Tao emphasised that the Chinese government supports students pursuing studies abroad, including opportunities to study in Hungary and at Semmelweis University. In addition to the growing interest among Chinese students, the Rector and the Ambassador also discussed the further development of inter-university partnerships and new opportunities for cooperation in education and research.
The number of Chinese students at Semmelweis University has increased steadily in recent years. In the 2025/2026 academic year, 291 Chinese students were enrolled at the University, while in 2026/2027 their number rose to 374. Of these, 141 study at the Faculty of Health Sciences, 130 at the Faculty of Dentistry, 82 at the Faculty of Medicine, 10 at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, while a further 10 students are enrolled in doctoral programmes. A total of 121 Chinese students were admitted for the 2026/2027 academic year, making Chinese students the second-largest national group among newly admitted students, after South Koreans.
Alongside the growing interest from students, Semmelweis University’s network of institutional partnerships in China has also continued to expand. The University has now established formal cooperation with more than twenty Chinese higher education and healthcare institutions, covering areas ranging from student and faculty mobility to joint research projects, clinical cooperation and professional exchange. More recently, new agreements have been concluded with institutions including Kunming Medical University, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and Southern Medical University, while discussions on cooperation with further leading Chinese institutions are also under way.
In addition to long-term degree programmes, there is also growing interest in Semmelweis University’s international short courses. In recent years, students, faculty members and healthcare professionals from Chinese universities have participated in clinical placements, summer schools, programmes in pharmaceutical sciences and translational medicine, as well as training in educational methodology and other professional fields in Budapest. The short-course portfolio includes clinical fellowships, hands-on workshops, summer and winter schools, professional study tours and tailor-made programmes developed in response to the specific needs of partner institutions.
The parties agreed that increasing student mobility and the continued expansion of institutional partnerships are creating further opportunities to develop educational, research and professional cooperation between Semmelweis University and its Chinese partners.
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