Semmelweis University is now rated the best university in Central Europe, and the government’s ambition is to see the Budapest-based medical institution become one of Europe’s top universities in the coming years. This was the message from Minister of Culture and Innovation Balázs Hankó on Monday as he inaugurated the university’s new Diagnostic and Therapeutic Centre at the Városmajor Heart and Vascular Clinic.
Hankó noted that the Hungarian government has overhauled the entire higher education system in recent years, based on proposals from the universities themselves. A total of 600 billion forints in development funds and a tripling of operational financing have been invested, bringing higher education funding to 2 per cent of GDP. He criticized the European Commission, claiming it ‘punishes, denies and excludes’ Hungarian universities under the banner of autonomy. He said the Commission seeks to reclaim university-owned properties and ‘protect Hungarian universities from their own rectors’, adding that six ‘hero universities’ have taken the matter to court.
The minister stressed that the government stands firmly behind Hungarian universities and will continue to support their development. Over the next few years, 1,300 billion forints will be invested in university projects across the Carpathian Basin. Hankó also presented the Pannonia programme, which he described as superior to Erasmus, offering Hungarian students opportunities at leading institutions around the world. He also highlighted international collaborations within the HU-RIZON research programme, involving universities such as Yale, MIT and Stanford.
Hankó reiterated the government’s target: by 2030, Hungary will have universities ranked among Europe’s top 100 and at least one in the world’s top 100. Semmelweis University, currently ranked 272 worldwide, is expected to reach this level. In his view, the university is already within the global top 100 based on scientific performance, ranking 181st in medical sciences, 35th in cardiology and 82nd in pharmacy. The minister also pointed out that Semmelweis University has received 100 billion forints in development funding in recent years, including 13.5 billion for the newly inaugurated facility. Another major milestone will be the construction of the National Medical Innovation, Training and Research Centre.
‘By 2030, Hungary will have universities ranked among Europe’s top 100 and at least one in the world’s top 100’
Rector Béla Merkely hailed the new Diagnostic and Therapeutic Centre as a major milestone that transforms daily operations and opens new horizons for patient care, research and education. The seven-floor building expands the clinic’s research and treatment space by nearly 50 per cent, adding 4,500 square metres directly connected to the main building via an internal bridge for seamless access to intensive care, surgical and interventional units. The facility includes a high-tech imaging diagnostics department equipped with two CT scanners and an MRI machine, as well as state-of-the-art hybrid interventional and electrophysiology laboratories. Ten new outpatient rooms enhance patient services, while a dedicated eight-bed unit has been set up for heart transplant recipients and patients requiring circulatory support. Additional classrooms and research rooms have also been built.
Merkely stressed that the Városmajor clinic has long been ranked among the world’s top 50 cardiovascular institutions, currently 35th according to US News. With the latest expansion, the clinic is poised not only to become the largest in the region but potentially the largest heart transplant centre in Europe.
Government commissioner for artificial intelligence László Palkovics highlighted that the new building is equipped to harness diagnostic data for AI-driven and data-based medical applications, describing it as the physical realisation of Semmelweis University’s AI vision.
Chair of the National Foundation for Health and Medical Training Gábor Orbán said Semmelweis University functions as ‘a super-hospital’ in its own right, and with this development—featuring world-class equipment and medical expertise—even more patients will benefit from its care.
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