Semmelweis University Health Services Management Training Centre
Réka Kovács, PhD is an international health policy and digital health expert, currently managing the international grant and project portfolio at the Semmelweis University Health Services Management Training Centre. She holds a PhD in Law awarded in 2025 for her research on the legal implications of free movement of patients and healthcare professionals within the EU, alongside Master’s degrees in Law and in Economics. With over 20 years of experience in health governance, EU affairs, and international cooperation, she works at the intersection of digital health transformation, health workforce policy, and data-driven healthcare.
At the Semmelweis University Health Services Management Training Centre, Réka leads and contributes to numerous European projects and initiatives. She recently coordinated the Interreg Danube Regional Project DIGI4Care, which successfully promoted the system-level implementation of digital health technologies across the Danube Region, and she currently leads the TeleHealthAid project, focused on implementing telemedicine solutions that strengthen healthcare provision in lagging regions through professional-to-professional collaboration. Between 2024 and 2026, she also served as international project manager at the ESZFK eHealth Service and Development Center, where she contributed to key EU initiatives related to the European Health Data Space.
Previously, Réka built extensive institutional expertise as Head of the EU and International Department at the ministry responsible for health. In this role, she coordinated the governmental work on EU and international health policy and represented Hungary in key EU policy committees and expert working groups in Brussels. Her broad governance background was further enriched through pivotal milestone periods, including participating in Hungary’s EU accession negotiations and steering the health workforce and social security agendas during the first Hungarian EU Council Presidency.
Across all her roles, Réka is dedicated to bridging research, innovation, and policy to build resilient, data-driven, and equitable healthcare systems.