Semmelweis Alumni Association Newsletter July 2009 Vol. 4
Leadership changes at the University while Rector stays for another term Director of the 1st Department of Pediatrics, Professor Tivadar Tulassay has been renominated as Rector of Semmelweis University for another 3 years. By his successful re-election he received a comfortable majority of all votes at the meeting of the Senate. Having started his duties as Rector in 2003, he will be the first of recent times to stay in office for more than 6 years. Besides Rector Tulassay having been re-elected, on 1 July 2009 three new Vice Rectors started their term. They are: Professor Ágoston Szél Dr. Miklós Kellermayer Professor Miklós Tóth General Affairs Education and International Relations Research and Innovation
Successful alumni reunion event in the new building The Semmelweis Alumni Reunion was held in the new building of the Basic Medical Science Centre on 23 May 2009. The festive occasion was opened by the Rector of Semmelweis University, Tivadar Tulassay. The attendees were greeted by the Minister of Education and Culture, István Hiller, Rector Emeritus Péter Sótonyi, and Erzsébet Ligeti, Associate Director of the Foreign Students Secretariat. In the name of the alumni, Ralf Dux in German and Shir Shamsi Khalil in English addressed the alma mater with their thoughts during the opening ceremony, where Magdolna Fonyó, Head of the Foreign Students Secretariat was awarded with the prestigious Pro Universitate prize. The ceremony was rounded up with the performance of a mixture of folk songs by Ágnes Herczku. During the subsequent reception the guests had the chance to attend a short sightseeing tour through the new building. The afternoon commenced with a scientific session and a short introduction of innovative projects at Semmelweis University as well as a guided tour on the new premises of the university. This included the new Cardiovascular Centre, and the Main
Building with the renovated Senate Hall, the 1st Department of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research as well as the new Dental Educational Centre. In the final part of the day a candlelight gala dinner was presented in the foyer of the new building, where Professor Márk Kollai, Vice Rector and Director of the Foreign Students Secretariat addressed the audience. The highlight of the evening was a sand animation performance by Ferenc Cakó to the music of Les Preludes by Franz Liszt. The university would like to thank everybody for attending the event.
You can find further photos in the News section of the English version of the university website at http://english.sote.hu. Another novum: an international postgraduate programme in dentistry The Steinbeis-Hochschule Berlin and Semmelweis University have started a collaboration offering a new degree in dental education: Master of Science in Periodontology and Implantology. This state-of-the-art programme puts emphasis on plastic aesthetic surgery and implantology, and dental students will practice oral surgery under the auspices of renowned professors, as good practical skills are a crucial requirement for expert dentists aiming at becoming specialists in this field. Periodontology is becoming a key area in dentistry, as international studies underline that every second adult has a kind of mid-level parodontitis to deal with. Professors associated with Semmelweis University who are involved in the programme include Doctor Honoris Causa Professor Anton Sculean, Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry Professor István Gera and Professor Péter Windisch. --The editors of this newsletter wish you a pleasant rest of the summer! András Pétsch Alumni Coordinator Gyula Sümeghy Director Directorate of International Relations