OBITUARY – Dr. Zsuzsanna Széman, professor emerita, sociologist (1952-2025)
It is with deep sorrow that we share the news, received from our colleagues at Semmelweis University in Hungary, of the passing of Professor Zsuzsanna Szeman on 17 March 2025.
Zsuzsanna was a highly esteemed colleague at the Institute of Mental Health and an active contributor to the work and development of the Eurocarers network. For decades, she was an internationally renowned researcher in the fields of ageing, long-term care, elderly care and intergenerational relations. She was deeply committed to enhancing the quality of life and social recognition of older people and their carers.
Her distinguished career began in 1976 at the Institute of Sociology of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, where she served as an assistant researcher before becoming a researcher in 1991 and a senior research fellow from 1996 to 2016. Since 2014, she had been a professor at the Institute of Mental Health at Semmelweis University, later becoming professor emerita in 2022. She played a leading role in numerous international and Hungarian research projects on ageing and was an active member of both national and international scientific communities.
Zsuzsanna was dedicated to bridging theory and practice. She was the driving force behind several pioneering Hungarian model programmes, including the introduction of signalling home help, the elderly-friendly housing initiative and the Skype Care programme. These innovations were implemented with the support of the Hungarian Maltese Charity Service. She also founded the Active Ageing specialised training course at the Mental Health Institute.
A lifelong learner and educator, Zsuzsanna embodied the very principles of active ageing. She was an inspiring, dynamic and creative researcher — fearless in facing challenges and always seeking meaningful impact. She was open to different cultures, continuously discovering and appreciating their richness, and she shared her experiences with great enthusiasm. A true bridge-builder, she saw value and beauty in diversity and encouraged those around her to do the same.
Her legacy — both in research and in the lives she touched—will remain with us. Dr Zsuzsanna Szeman’s dedication, vision and humanity serve as an enduring example for us all
