As at June 2010, there are thirty SACEMA students, of whom ten are PhD students. Contact is maintained with all of them and their well-being and work is carefully monitored. In a concerted effort aimed at ensuring a healthy coursework grounding in postgraduate studies, there is enhanced communication and integration of activities between SACEMA and other institutes and departments at the hub universities, working towards sharing of expertise and existing taught modules. Information about relevant courses is regularly circulated, and some students have been assisted to attend courses of critical importance in their work.  

A specially-commissioned course in Epidemiology and Research Methodology began in February at SACEMA in association with the Dept of Community Health, taught by Dr Jo Barnes. A five-day course on Advanced Epidemiological Methods, organised and sponsored by SACEMA, was presented by Dr Matthew Fox of Boston University, 10-14 May 2010, and attracted over forty participants.  A two-week training course entitled “Clinic on Meaningful Modelling of Epidemiological Data” was mounted 24 May-4 June 2010 at AIMS, led by a dynamic Rutgers/DIMACS team, in association with SACEMA. Thirty-three students attended, including four from USA, sixteen from South Africa and the rest from other African countries.  A series of seminars in Crucial Biomedical Concepts for Modellers is planned to start shortly, which should begin to generate fruitful contacts with strategic people in biology, medicine, clinical practice and public health, who can advise and assist on internships. A two-week MSc initiation workshop in Applied Statistics is being designed in association with the Dept. of Statistics (US) and SSAS (UKZN), and planned for January 2011.   

Sadly, the timing of the soccer World Cup makes it impossible for us to hold our annual July winter-school for South African students – the Introduction to the Applications of Mathematics in Biology and Medicine, but it is hoped to mount an outreach “road-show” to visit South African universities and promote the potential of work at SACEMA for talented intending postgraduate students. SACEMA exhibited at the 2010 South African PhD Project Conference in May in Johannesburg.  

The NRF’s strategic appointment of a South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) position to SACEMA has promising potential for capacity-building, and the Belgian-funded VLIR projects include funds specifically ear-marked for the training of local students. For more details of training initiatives see our Current Programmes.