Eugloh Annual Summit in Szeged
The University of Szeged hosted the annual summit of EUGLOH, the European University Alliance for Global Health, between June 11 and 14, 2024. The event was attended by Nobel laureates Katalin Karikó and Anne L'Huillier.
Members of EUGLOH, the alliance of 9 universities aiming to develop global health through interdisciplinary sciences, gather yearly to participate in personal meetings and professional conferences. This year, the city and the University of Szeged hosted the meeting, which was attended by members of the alliance, leaders of the member universities, representatives of the Pasteur Institute and the WHO, as well as Nobel Prize-winning researchers Katalin Karikó and Anne L’Huillier.
Thursday, June 13, the day of the summit open to the press, started with Katalin Karikó's book signing at the SZTE Education and Information Center (TIK). In the congress hall of TIK, Prof. Dr. László Rovó, rector of SZTE, greeted the participants and gave a welcome speech. He also briefly presented the history of the University of Szeged, highlighting that SZTE joined the EUGLOH Alliance as a founding member in 2018.
Prof. Dr. Dag Rune Olsen, president of EUGLOH, discussed the Alliance's goals, current status, and the member universities' pursuit of academic and research freedom. He stressed that member universities have invested in global health development through education and research, highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. He added that the EUGLOH Alliance is a platform for experts to work together and the main goal of EUGLOH is to improve the lives of future generations.
In her speech, Prof. Dr. Sandrine Lacombe, the coordinator of EUGLOH, emphasized the importance of the alliance in strengthening and improving Europe. She highlighted the need to adapt to social and global changes and stressed the significance of research and education in achieving this.
On behalf of EUGLOH students, two leaders of the International Student Board, María Pilar Moracho Torija (University of Alcalá) and Florabelle Cabarrubias (SZTE) shared success stories related to the Alliance.
Katalin Karikó, alumna and current professor of SZTE, emphasized motivation in her presentation delivered in her usual relaxed and direct tone. In her speech, she gave examples from her own life to emphasize the importance of dedication, perseverance, and a sense of purpose. She mentioned that anyone can become a scientist regardless of their family background, and highlighted the important roles of teachers and fellow students in achieving this goal.
In her speech, Anne L'Huillier talked about how five different universities influenced her career. In addition to the Paris-Saclay University, the University of Munich (Max Planck Institute), the University of Porto, and her current workplace, the University of Lund in Sweden, she emphasized that the University of Szeged and the affiliated ELI ALPS were also of decisive importance in terms of her career and life.
The presentations were followed by a roundtable discussion, during which two students from SZTE, Florabelle Cabarrubias and Divyanshi Divyanshi, asked Katalin Karikó and Anne L'Huillier about their scientific work and lives. At the end of the discussion, the audience had the opportunity to ask questions to the Nobel laureates.
The full report of the 2024 EUGLOH annual summit is up on the website of the University of Szeged.
Photos: Szilvia Molnar / Szegedify
