Semmelweis University has signed a ten-year strategic cooperation agreement with Westpfalz-Klinikum Kaiserslautern. The partnership will create Semmelweis University’s second campus in Germany and will admit 80 students each year.
The agreement was signed by Merkely Béla, Rector of Semmelweis University, and Thorsten Hemmer, Chief Executive Officer of Westpfalz-Klinikum. Under the programme, students in the six-year medical curriculum will complete the first three years in Budapest, receiving theoretical and preclinical instruction. The latter three clinical years will be carried out in Germany, where students will train at the bedside.
Curriculum, diploma and academic appointments
The Westpfalz-Klinikum will serve as an external training site of Semmelweis University, which means the curriculum taught there will be identical to the Budapest programme. Accordingly, graduates will receive the same diploma as peers who complete their studies in Hungary or at Semmelweis’s first German site, the Asklepios Campus in Hamburg, established in 2008.
Appointments of German professors and associate professors responsible for clinical teaching will be subject to approval by the Senate of Semmelweis University.
Background and research objectives
Semmelweis University launched its German-language medical programme in 1983; today roughly one third of its students come from abroad. Beyond expanding the geographical reach of education, the new partnership aims to strengthen scientific networking. The two institutions plan to start joint research projects in informatics, artificial intelligence and engineering applications in healthcare.
The agreement is intended to open new opportunities for students and faculty in both education and research, and to reinforce Semmelweis University’s presence and collaborations across Europe.
Implications for students
Participants in the joint programme will follow a single, consistent curriculum across two countries: preclinical training in Budapest followed by clinical education in Germany. This structure provides international clinical exposure and access to collaborative research environments for students.
