Community - the research-minded way
forward together ● sonke siya phambili ● saam vorentoe
A Transformative campus experience
Maties are spoiled for choice with a wide variety of stimulating academic and social events. Please find below the details of select events particularly recommended to the doctoral and research community in the SU Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, on the SU Tygerberg campus.
Pro tip: No need to miss out on Stellenbosch campus activities. Many major Matie events are live streamed for convenient remote viewing, via this link.
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PhD Discussion Group
The FMHS Doctoral Discussion Group meets once a month, from 12:30 to 13:45, and provides a forum for PhD students to reflect on the doctoral journey. Meetings take place at the RIDS offices on the 5th floor of the Education Building (enter via Room 5006). The group will be running for it's fifteenth year in 2026, after being founded in 2011 by Prof Susan van Schalkwyk, former executive head of the Department of Health Professions Education and rated researcher in this field. From 2025, the group is being convened by Dr Liela Groenewald and the team at the Doctoral Office, Tygerberg. For enquiries, contact Ms Tamarra Adriaanse ([email protected]).
RSVP essential - sign up at this link.
PhD Discussion Group Meetings for 2026
Date | Focus | Facilitator |
| 25 February | Leveling up: The Skills and Mindsets of Doctoral Success | Dr Mariëtte Volschenk (Department of Health Professions Education) & Prof Regan Solomons (Paediatrics) |
| 18 March | Setting goals: Planning for momentum in the months ahead | Dr Rhoda Meyer (DHPE) |
| 15 April | A strong research question as roadmap for a doctoral study | Dr Liela Groenewald (Doctoral Office) |
| Tue 5 May | Powerful writing: How coherence, golden threads, and conceptual frameworks can work for you | Prof Susan van Schalkwyk (DHPE) |
| 3 June | Lost in the woods: Reading for conceptual rigour and deep insight in the age of AI hype | Prof Stéfan du Plessis (Psychiatry) |
| 22 July | Dealing with feedback: the good, the bad, and the ugly | Prof Hans Strijdom (Biomedical Sciences) |
| 19 August | Your research, Funded: Pathways to support and sustainability | Prof Samantha Sampson (Biomedical Sciences) |
| 16 September | Success in publishing: Tips for becoming a successful academic writer | Prof Susan van Schalkwyk (DHPE) |
| 14 October | Taking stock: milestones, timelines, challenges and successes | Dr Rhoda Meyer (DHPE) |
PhD Discussion Group Meetings for 2025
Date | Focus | Facilitator |
| Wednesday, 19 February | Setting goals: planning for success, getting the year started | Dr Rhoda Meyer (DHPE) |
| Tuesday, 18 March | Scoping the literature, reading for success and related thoughts on using literature | Dr Rhoda Meyer (DHPE) |
| Wednesday, 16 April | Powerful writing: How coherence, golden threads, and conceptual frameworks can work for you | Prof Susan van Schalkwyk (DHPE) |
| Tuesday, 13 May | Doctoral attributes and your professional identity | Dr Mariëtte Volschenk (DHPE) |
| Wednesday, 11 June | Mentoring: Have one, be one | Prof Regan Solomons (Paediatrics) |
| Tuesday, 29 July | Tips for becoming a successful academic writer: Getting Published Before, During, and/or After the PhD | Prof Susan van Schalkwyk (DHPE) |
| Wednesday, 27 August | Planning for post-PhD success: thinking about funding | Prof Samantha Sampson (Molecular Biology and Human Genetics) |
| Tuesday, 30 September | Dealing with feedback: the good, the bad, and the ugly | Prof Hans Strijdom (Medical Physiology) |
| Wednesday, 29 October | Taking stock: milestones, timelines, challenges and successes | Dr Rhoda Meyer (DHPE) |
The Spotlight Series
Bringing together the FMHS community
The bi-annual seminars of the Spotlight Series afford academics a platform for illuminating the link between their research and the topical themes of national and international commemorative days. This occasion creates a space for fostering a spirit of camaraderie within the SU Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. It is particularly encouraged for doctoral candidates and postdoctoral fellows as a means to connect across disciplinary and institutional silos.
Please do register for the event, to join us for either kind of attendance. Although the seminar has been presented in hybrid format since the pandemic, in-person attendance in the BMRI building on Tygerberg campus is preferred. Both options for attendance require registration. Brief creative performances by FMHS students are included in the programme.
The proceedings start promptly at 11:30 and run until 13:30, with a light finger lunch served.
Tuesday, 12 May 2026, in recognition of Africa Day
Building Resilient and Sustainable African Communities Through Healthy Water and Sanitation Systems
Speakers
Keynote -
Prof Salome Maswime (Global Surgery)
Panel:
Prof Guy Midgley (School for Climate Studies)
Prof Nicola Plastow (Occupational Therapy)
Dr Ziyanda Vundle (Health Systems and Public Health)
Please register at this link
Tuesday, 7 October 2025, in recognition of International Peace Day
together with South Africa's Women's Day and Heritage Day
Health, Human Rights and Legacy: Empowering Communities Through Care and Compassion
Keynote - Dr Mohlopheni Marakalala: Marching towards a TB-free world: What would it take?
Director: South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Centre for Tuberculosis Research, SU FMHS)
Panel
Prof Armand Bam (University of Stellenbosch Business School)
Dr Bih Chendi (Immunology Research Group, SU FMHS)
Ms Vanessa Mitchell (PhD candidate in the Department of Exercise, Sport and Lifestyle Medicine, SU FMHS)
Click here to register: https://forms.office.com/r/ym…
Tuesday, 27 May 2025, in recognition of Africa Day
Justice and inclusivity through transforming health care systems in Africa
Speakers
Keynote - Prof Hassan Mahomed, SU Division of Public Health
Panel
Ms Yeukai Chideya, researcher, SU Division of Public Health
Dr George Chingarande, SU Division of Medical Ethics and Law
Ms Carine Marks, SU Division of Clinical Pharmacology
