The first issue features an array of topics, including an interview with Rector-Elect Dr. Ágoston Szél, an introduction to the Students’ Scientific Association (TDK), scientific articles on dentistry, female hair loss and pesticides and, on a lighter theme, Hungarian lessons and travel tips.

According to its publishers, this student-run English publication is targeted at the student population, though not exclusively for the English program. “It’s meant to bridge the gap between faculties and years. The aim of the magazine is to be fun and interesting but also educational and useful. Even though students often study alongside students from other faculties, they don’t know very much about them, or the various extracurricular programs offered by Semmelweis University. Since English is the one language that is shared by almost all students in the Hungarian, German and English faculties, we hope to aid in linking these communities to each other.

“The goal is to make a sustainable publication which comes out every semester, two times a school year. Focus is not only on student affairs, but also on ISAS-related events, TDK, academic articles, student news and some lighter articles as well, with fixed positions for writers to ensure quality control.”

Visit the ISAS website for more information.

ISAS and Gina Gönczi

Ms. Pia Leden and her colleague are the administrative officers of the Swedish Dental Association (SDA). The biggest dental association in Sweden, the SDA counts over 90 percent of the country’s dentists among its members.

The Swedish delegation visited the University’s Dental Clinical Centre and held a two-hour meeting with Dr. István Gera, president of the Hungarian Dental Association and director of Semmelweis University’s Department of Periodontology. Mr. Attariani also participated in the meeting. Professor Gera gave an overview of the Hungarian undergraduate and postgraduate training system, the possibilities for specialisation in dentistry, the lifelong learning system in Hungary, dental tourism, and the current stage of Hungarian dental insurance. He outlined the role of Semmelweis University in international exchange programmes, as well as the special role of the Scandinavian students in the University’s medical and dental training programmes.

After the meeting, the two ladies were given a tour of the new Dental Clinical Centre and were very impressed with both its infrastructure and layout. In the afternoon, they met the foreign students in the Arkövy Lecture Hall, where Ms. Leden gave a lecture to those in attendace. She covered the following topics:

• What does the dental market look like statically?
• How to achieve a Swedish dental license when you have graduated from abroad
• What kind of options do dentists have, what can they work with.
• Information about careers, salaries and laws, and rules concerning the dental market in Sweden.
• Information about the Swedish Dental Association.

The morning after their visit to Semmelweis University, the Swedish delegation visited the University of Debrecen, where they met the dean and the Scandinavian students studying there.

Professor István Gera
Mr. Charlie Attariani

Rectors Tivadar Tulassay and Szabolcs Szuromi

A cooperation agreement on education and research has been signed between Semmelweis University, represented by Rector Tivadar Tulassay, and Pázmány Péter Catholic University, represented by Rector Szabolcs Szuromi.

The success of the cooperation, which covers the areas of informatics and infobionics, will be facilitated by the establishment of a joint centre in the near future, as well as by creating the necessary technical background.

In addition to expecting internationally significant results, the institution leaders wish to place emphasis on the exploitation of these results within the Hungarian bionic industry. The two universities, which already have successful collaborations in numerous other areas, seek to use the current agreement “to assist the domestic development of cutting edge biomedical, bionic and informatics technologies, in a pioneering way,” Rector Szuromi said.

Szilvia Tóth-Szabó (source: mti.hu)

Translated by Gina Gönczi

The medical centre, located in Malmö, fosters close scientific and professional ties with Lund University.

The visitors started their day at the University’s Heart Centre, after which they visited the 1st Department of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research, the Inner Clinical Campus and, finally, the Central Building.

As a special treat, two Swedish students from the International Student Association of Semmelweis accompanied the guests on their tour.

Orsolya Thurzó

Translated by Gina Gönczi

(l-r) Minister Réthelyi, Director Sarolta Kárpáti, Rector Tivadar Tulassay and Her Excellency Siri Ellen Sletner

Dr. Sarolta Kárpáti, director of the Department of Dermatology, Dermatooncology and Venarology brought attention to the fact that the project brought significant changes to the Department in the areas of education, research and health care, as new spaces supporting these activities were created, while the functions of the existing ones were expanded. Since the renovation, there have been more residents, specialists-in-training and TDK (Students’ Scientific Association) students at the Department, more dissertations are being prepared, there is no shortage of specialist doctors and, what is more, the Department is even attracting a growing number of volunteers. Perhaps this may be explained by the fact that the level of comfort among the staff members, patients and students has increased, Dr. Kárpáti surmised.

Rector Tivadar Tulassay spoke about Semmelweis University’s special relationship with Norway, emphasising that numerous outstanding Norwegian students study at the University.

By the tree of Norwegian-Hungarian friendship

Norwegian Ambassador Siri Ellen Sletner referred to the completed project as significant, calling attention to the next round of the programme.

Minister of National Resources Miklós Réthelyi pointed out that, since 2005, one of the most significant chapters in the bilateral relations between Hungary and Norway has been Norwegian Fund’s Hungarian projects, of which the current renovation is part.

Director of International Relations Júlia Ferkis drew attention to the fact that the diverse Norwegian-Hungarian collaborations have a prominent role in graduate and post-graduate education.

At the end of the ceremonial event, the participants signed the Department’s guest book and placed a memorial plaque under the tree of Norwegian-Hungarian friendship.

Zsuzsa Szuchy

Translated by Gina Gönczi

According to the Ministry’s press release, the minister – as a former rector of Semmelweis University – considers the University’s activities and a smooth completion of the handover/takeover process to be important, which are the current rector’s tasks.

Responding to the above, the University released a statement which said that Miklós Réthelyi called Tivadar Tulassay to his office for 3 p.m. on April 2. The topic of the meeting was resignation from the post of rector. The minister indicated that he will formulate the serving of a two month notice period in his letter of reply.

The official letter of reply arrived at the University on April 4. Responding to a question from the MTI news agency, the University stated that Dr. Tulassay will naturally respect the Minister’s request.

Szilvia Tóth-Szabó

Translated by Gina Gönczi

The past few days and weeks have been very foreign to the usual, everyday life of the University, in which the focus is on education, research and health care. Irrespective of our will, politics crept within the University’s walls.

It is my opinion that the decision made by the University this week lives up, in all respects, to the expectations made of one of the most renowned Hungarian institutions, which also enjoys an exceptional international reputation.

The decision’s importance is established by the fact that Semmelweis University and the whole of Hungarian science suffered a measurable loss in prestige because of the case. The academic world welcomed the University’s decision with relief; at the same time, social controversy and the political interpretation of the case intensified, and the University’s decision was caught in a crossfire of political and legal interpretations.

The decisions made by the University over the past few days are indisputably tied to my person. For this reason, the supervising authority’s loss of confidence in my person became perceptible. Therefore, in the interest of the University’s tranquillity and a return to the usual everyday life as soon as possible, I have decided to hand over the rectorship to rector-elect Ágoston Szél, who received the unanimous support of the Senate at its March 29, 2012 session and, effective immediately, resign from my post as rector without completing the remaining three months of my mandate. I will officially inform the Minister of National Resources about this on Monday. The new leader will be able to restore the University’s tranquillity and enjoys the support of the supervising authority.

I would like to emphasize that I fully support the decision made by the Senate on March 29, 2012, and maintain that the University acted in compliance with the current legislation throughout its activities related to Pál Schmitt’s doctoral (dr. univ.) dissertation.

The decisions made during my time in office are proper, I can identify with them and take responsibility for their preparation and implementation. Naturally, I assist and support the elected rector’s work.

Translated by Gina Gönczi

On March 27, Rector Tulassay forwarded the fact-finding committee’s findings to Miklós Réthelyi, the minister with jurisdiction in the case. “When, on the following day, the Ministry of National Resources, who had jurisdiction in the case, sent back the fact-finding committee’s report concerning the doctoral dissertation of Hungarian President Pál Schmitt without action, citing lack of jurisdiction, the president of Semmelweis University’s Doctoral Council convened an extraordinary meeting for Thursday morning. The members of the council, having learned the contents of the fact-finding committee’s report, submitted a motion to the Senate to revoke the doctoral qualification,” said Dr. Tulassay, recalling the sequence of the previous days’ events.

That afternoon, the Senate discussed the summary of the fact-finding committee’s report, the attached minority report, as well as the Doctoral Council’s decision. It approvingly acknowledged the information that, by law, (Act CXXXIX of 2005 on Higher Education Section 115 Paragraph 2 Item ea., paragraphs 3-4; Section 103 Paragraph 2) only the court of justice has the authority to invalidate the certificate, upon a motion submitted by the Hungarian Accreditation Committee (MAB) and the initiation of the Minister of National Resources. The minister, however, sent the fact-finding committee’s report back to the University unopened, citing lack of jurisdiction. Taking this ministerial decision into account, the Senate considered it its duty to definitively settle the question related to the title’s revocation, the rector stated.

Accepting the content of the fact-finding committee’s report, the Senate determined that, “since the former candidate’s doctoral dissertation is based on lengthy literal translations, it does not meet the professional and ethical criteria of the ‘dissertation prepared using scientific methods’ requirement for obtaining a university doctorate. The Senate has therefore decided to revoke Dr. Pál Schmitt’s university scientific degree (dr. univ. title).”

Thirty-seven of the forty Senate members were present at the meeting. Thirty-three voted yes, while four voted no.

At the press conference, Dr. Tivadar Tulassay declared that, following the decision of the Senate, the University, for its part, considers the matter closed. The rector also welcomed the fact that, over the past day, several prominent personalities in the Hungarian scientific community had spoken up in support of the fact-finding committee’s report and the decision made by the Doctoral Council.

Pálma Dobozi

Translated by Gina Gönczi

Ms. Ferkis returns to Hungary after 25 years in Oslo, Norway, where she spent most of her career in the international relations field. She was made head of the Russian Institute of the University of Oslo’s Faculty of Medicine in 1996. This office became the Representative Office of the University of Oslo in 2010 and she continues to hold this position to this day. Coordinating research collaborations between Norway and Russia, it was here that Júlia Ferkis received her first glimpse into the medical education field, including research collaborations and student exchange. Deciding that it was not enough to have a working knowledge of the health care sector, she embarked on a health services manager training programme in 2004. From 2007 to 2008, Ms. Ferkis was deputy head of the Research Department and head of the International Department at Sunnaas Hospital, Norway’s largest rehabilitation hospital. Most recently, she served as head of International Section of the University of Oslo’s Faculty of Medicine from April 2009 until March 2012.

Despite having lived abroad for two and a half decades, Júlia Ferkis never lost her ties to Hungary. “I didn’t move abroad because I yearned to leave the country, but because that is where life took me. I’ve always longed for home; it was very important for me that my children speak perfect Hungarian and we came back to visit as often as we could, spending every summer here,” Ms. Ferkis said, adding that she had left her home country for the reason perhaps most people do: for love. She met her future husband, a Norwegian journalist, during her university years, when she was working as an English and Russian interpreter. Although her children were born in Norway, it appears that their ties to Hungary are also exceptionally tight, as both of them currently reside in Hungary.

Ms. Ferkis had other reasons for choosing to return home. “It is said that when the country is in trouble, the good Hungarians should be at home to help; my parents are also getting older, and as an only child, I would like to be nearby to assist them,” she said, providing some personal insight into her decision.

In dealing with international relations, Júlia Ferkis considers it essential to keep in mind that both sides inevitably hope to benefit from collaborations. “Therefore, it is important to be deliberate when making new agreements, to know what it is that one hopes to gain from partnership with other nations. At the same time, one must not forget that only those partnerships can be successful in the long-term, where both sides have an equal footing, taking part in the cooperation with equal opportunity,” she said.

Pálma Dobozi

Translated by Gina Gönczi

As part of the Carnival, students from 18 different countries participated in the Multicultural Food Festival, allowing interested students to sample some of their nations’ most delectable specialties.

We have compiled a short video of some of the evening’s key moments.

Translated by Gina Gönczi

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