Semmelweis University was founded in 1769, which makes it the oldest medical school in Hungary. The faculty became an independent medical school after the Second World War and developed into a university that teaches medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, health sciences, health management as well as physical education and sport sciences. The university is named after Ignác Semmelweis (1818-1865), the revolutionary obstetrician who discovered the cause of puerperal fever in the 1840s and therefore is also known as “the savior of mothers”.

Today, Semmelweis University is widely recognized as one of Europe’s leading centers of medicine and health sciences, combining innovation and a time-tested tradition in three main areas: education, research and health care.

The university is a truly international community, embracing over 11,000 students from 60 nations over five continents. Its five faculties offer a wide range of courses from undergraduate to doctorate level in Hungarian, English and German. Foreign students account for about 18 % of the total community.

Semmelweis University is the largest health care institution in Hungary with over 9,000 employees covering approximately six per cent of the health care needs of the country’s population.

With a 238-year-old tradition of academic excellence, Semmelweis University ranks among the most prestigious Hungarian research institutions where more than 1,300 staff members in approximately 80 departments are involved in R&D activities.