M-RCBG Senior Fellow-Led Study Group: Miklós Szócska
Thursday, November 14, 4:15 - 6:00 M-RCBG Conference Room: B-102
Miklós Szócska will host an interactive session: after an introductory presentation, students will have a chance to solve real-life government use cases of network analysis (with optional follow up tutoring in graph analytics by network analyst experts).
This study group / discussion is open to all HUID holders. Registration is not necessary.
M-RCBG welcomes individuals with disabilities to participate in its programs. To request accommodations or ask questions about access provided, please email: mrcbg@hks.harvard.edu
Dr. Miklós Szócska is a professor and dean of faculty at Semmelweis University in Budapest. He began his public service career during medical school when he was elected as student president of his class at the dawn of system change in Hungary. He is one of the founders and the current director of the Health Services Management Training Centre at Semmelweis, which serves as the focal point for health management and policy development in Hungary. Besides his academic responsibilities Dr. Szócska led a rich portfolio of national and international level research or development projects. Dr. Szócska served as Hungary's Minister of State for Health from 2010 to 2014. During his tenure, he led comprehensive health reforms amidst a challenging world economic crisis period. His initiatives included large-scale structural changes and health improvement programs, earning him recognition for his commitment to public health advancement. He is particularly proud of his agile, consultative, evidence-driven, and problem-based change approach. Key achievements include making Hungary smoke-free, introducing a public health product tax on added salt and sugar, and using the funds to raise salaries for tens of thousands of public sector nurses and doctors. He also initiated the creation of a national eHealth platform, which proved critical for care accessibility during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2016 he was nominated for the Director General position of the World Health Organisation by the Hungarian Government. His academic and professional journey reflects a profound dedication to improving health systems through innovative policies and technologies, assisting health managers and organizations in their quest for efficiency and well-being. Currently, Dr. Szócska champions the integration of data-driven and AI solutions in healthcare, aiming to save lives and public money, enhance public health outcomes, and improve system efficiency. He holds an MD and a PhD from Semmelweis University and a Master of Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School, where he was a 1998 MC/MPA. He also enjoyed the benefits of his training in the Netherlands, Japan and England. As an M-RCBG Senior Fellow, Dr. Szócska will delve into how we can harness the potential of AI in healthcare while mitigating its risks. His research will focus on navigating the evolving regulatory and business model landscape. This work aims to provide valuable insights into creating a balanced approach to AI integration in the healthcare sector. His faculty mentor is Soroush Saghafian Associate Professor of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School. Email: miklos_szocska@hks.harvard.edu