Harvard Medical School (HMS) and Semmelweis University (SE) signed a cooperation agreement on Friday, under which HMS will design and implement a postgraduate clinical research training program in Hungary, SE told MTI.
According to a statement published on the SE website, the HMS clinical research program for PHD students and post-doctoral fellows in Central Europe is scheduled to start in July 2023 and run until June 2026. The US institution will be responsible for the curriculum and delivery of the training, and the SE has committed to cover fifty percent of the fees for 50 students per year, for which the institution has earmarked a budget of $250,000.
The program will be extended to neighboring countries, so that professionals from several countries in the Central and Eastern European region can participate, they said. The curriculum will help participants acquire the skills needed to conduct high-quality clinical research. These include epidemiology, biostatistics, medical ethics and professional leadership.
On average, participants are expected to spend 7-10 hours per week working through the material and completing projects. The program will be accompanied by three residential workshops: the first in Budapest, the second online and the third in Boston, they said.
Photo: Faceboo Semmelweis Egyetem
In the press release, SE Rector Béla Merkely was quoted as saying at the signing ceremony: “Harvard and Semmelweis Universities have different characteristics, roots and cultures, and we are separated by an ocean.
But we share a common goal, our mission and our principles are the same: to provide the best possible knowledge at the highest possible level,
he said. He added: “That is why our partnership is as natural as it is rewarding. And with the launch of a joint course in clinical research, we aim to deepen our collaboration”.
Ajay K. Singh, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at HMS, said in a communiqué that clinical research is a real driver of healthcare innovation and improves patient outcomes. “By providing high-impact training opportunities for healthcare professionals around the world, we are realizing the HMS mission of supporting a diverse and accepting community whose primary goal is to alleviate suffering, improve health and well-being,” he said.
Featured Photo: Facebook Semmelweis Egyetem