On 15 October 2026, Semmelweis University welcomed a higher education delegation organised by the Department of Education of Zhejiang Province, China. The visit aimed to explore opportunities for educational and research cooperation and to further strengthen the partnership established with Wenzhou Medical University in 2018, with a particular focus on dentistry.
The delegation was led by Hua Jianwei, Director of the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Education. Representatives of five Chinese higher education institutions participated in the visit: Jiaxing University, Hangzhou Normal University, Zhejiang University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhejiang Conservatory of Music, and Wenzhou Medical University. The guests were welcomed on behalf of Semmelweis University by Dr. Péter Hermann, Vice-Rector for Educational Affairs, Dr. Gábor Gerber, Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry, Dr. Csaba Dobó-Nagy, Vice-Dean for Scientific Affairs, and Dr. Gábor Varga, Deputy Director of the Center for Translational Medicine.
During the meeting, the participants presented their institutions’ educational and research activities and discussed potential areas for bilateral cooperation. According to Cai Xueli, Vice-Dean of the 2nd School of Medicine at Wenzhou Medical University, dentistry offers particularly promising opportunities for strengthening professional ties, which could subsequently be complemented by student and staff mobility programs.
Wenzhou Medical University is one of the leading medical higher education institutions in Zhejiang Province, with nearly 30,000 students, 21 schools and colleges, and five affiliated teaching hospitals. Its educational and research activities cover a wide range of disciplines, including clinical medicine, dentistry, ophthalmology, pharmaceutical sciences and biomedical sciences.
Dr. Gábor Gerber emphasized that Semmelweis University is open to expanding student exchange and short-term professional programs. He highlighted the summer student mobility program previously organised with Zhejiang University as an example of an initiative that could also be developed with Wenzhou Medical University. Semmelweis University could also welcome Chinese students through professional programs offering participants an insight into university education and clinical training.
During the discussions, Dr. Gábor Varga also presented the educational opportunities offered by Semmelweis University in the field of translational medicine. The doctoral program, which brings together international students and supervisors, as well as the one-year master’s program, could provide further opportunities for scientific and educational cooperation with the Chinese partner institutions.
Semmelweis University and Wenzhou Medical University signed a cooperation agreement in 2018 aimed at facilitating student and staff mobility, promoting joint research activities and strengthening scientific ties. The visit provided an opportunity to review the existing partnership and discuss new forms of cooperation, particularly in the fields of dental education and international mobility.