Réka Kovács, PhD (Hungary)
Senior Project Manager at ESZFK Nonprofit Kft. and Senior Policy Advisor at Semmelweis University HSMTC
Speaker
Réka Kovács obtained MSc degrees in Law and in Economics, and is currently in the final stage of her PhD studies, preparing to defend her thesis on the challenges that the free movement of patients and professionals pose to healthcare systems.
Between 2001 and 2020, she held a range of positions within the ministry responsible for health, gaining extensive expertise in European and international health and social policy, particularly in areas related to the free movement of persons. She participated in Hungary’s EU accession negotiations and represented the country in several key EU and international working groups and committees, including the Health Workforce Expert Group, the Cross-Border Healthcare Committee, and the Administrative Commission on the Coordination of Social Security Systems and its ad hoc group on posting. During the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU, she was responsible for coordinating the health workforce agenda and chaired the Social Questions Working Party during negotiations on social security legislation. She also contributed actively to the EU Joint Action on Health Workforce Planning and Forecasting (EUHWF) and participated in its continuation, the SEPEN project. As Head of the EU and International Organisations Department of the Ministry of Human Capacities, she was overseeing a wide portfolio including health, social and family affairs, education, culture, youth, and sport. Between 2018 and 2020, she also acted as Hungary’s National Focal Point to the World Health Organization.
Since joining the Health Services Management Training Centre of Semmelweis University in 2020, she has been managing and contributing to numerous international projects, coordinating the institute’s international relations, and supporting the Director’s engagement in global professional networks and advisory bodies. As a project manager, she has gained extensive experience in international health policy development, with a particular focus on digital health and health workforce issues. She has participated in several major EU projects contributing to the development of the European Health Data Space (EHDS), including Joint Actions and collaborative initiatives on data-driven health policy. She currently serves as coordinator of the Interreg Danube Regional Project DIGI4Care, which promotes the system-level implementation of digital health technologies across the Danube Region. She also leads the international pillar of the Data-Driven Health National Laboratory, a flagship Hungarian initiative supporting research and innovation in health data use. Since 2024, she has additionally been working as an International Project Manager at the ESZFK eHealth Service and Development Center, where she contributes to Hungary’s national digital health transformation by participating in many EU projects on primary and secondary use of health data.
Réka Kovács has authored several professional and scientific publications and regularly presents at international conferences and policy forums. Her work reflects a strong commitment to bridging research and policy and to promoting international cooperation in order to support effective, equitable, and innovative health systems.