On 29 August 2025, Semmelweis University officially opened the new academic year of the Centre for Translational Medicine (CTM) in a ceremonial setting. The event took place in the Marcus Aurelius Hall of the BC22 office building on Baross Street. In addition to celebrating the Centre’s past achievements, the opening ceremony also drew attention to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
The ceremony began with a welcome address by Dr. Péter Ferdinandy, Vice-Rector for Science and Innovation, who underlined Semmelweis University’s commitment to becoming one of the world’s top 100 universities, and within the European Union, one of the top 5 institutions in clinical and health sciences. He emphasized that the University simultaneously fulfils an educational, research, and healthcare mission, serving as a driving force of the healthcare innovation ecosystem in Central and Eastern Europe.
Following this, Prof. Dr. Péter Hegyi, Director of the Centre for Translational Medicine, officially opened the 2025/26 academic year. In his presentation, he highlighted the Centre’s achievements of recent years: the active participation of more than 400 students, over 2,000 cumulative impact factor points worth of publications, and measurable healthcare benefits achieved in partner institutions such as the Heim Pál National Pediatric Institute, the Bajcsy-Zsilinszky Hospital and Outpatient Clinic, and the St. George University Teaching Hospital in Székesfehérvár. He stressed the CTM’s mission: to bridge the gap between research and patient care, to strengthen the translational approach, and to continue building international networks.
A central element of the ceremony was the award presentation, during which:
- the “Excellence in Modern Patient Care” Prize was presented to the Bajcsy-Zsilinszky Hospital and Outpatient Clinic, the Heim Pál National Pediatric Institute, and the St. George University Teaching Hospital in Székesfehérvár,
- the first graduates of the Clinical Translational Master’s Program were formally recognized, marking the successful launch of this new educational initiative,
- certificates were awarded to students who successfully completed their comprehensive exams,
- first-year students were acknowledged for their outstanding academic achievements,
- the best-performing TDK students were celebrated,
- and finally, newly appointed Scientific Methodology Supervisors (SMS) were officially welcomed.
Gallery
The event concluded with a reception, where students, faculty members, and partners were able to share their experiences and discuss future plans in an informal setting. The ceremony fittingly reinforced Semmelweis University and the Centre for Translational Medicine’s commitment to scientific excellence, educational development, and the modernization of healthcare—not only in the Central and Eastern European region, but also within the international scientific community.