PhD Symposia

PhD research is an important driver of innovation in global health. Yet the social relevance of this research often remains limitedly visible outside academic circles. With our PhD symposia, we are changing this.

We support the organisation of accessible, substantively strong symposia in which PhD students link their research to current issues within the Dutch healthcare context. By bringing science, practice and policy together, we create space for dialogue, reflection and new collaborations.

Our symposia focus on:

• Visibility: making PhD research accessible to a wider audience, including healthcare professionals, policymakers and community partners.
• Social relevance: explicitly linking research to challenges within Dutch healthcare practice.
• Collaboration: fostering new connections between researchers and organisations seeking to make an impact.

Set up

We organise compact, content-rich half-day symposia to make participation approachable and accessible. The programme consists of a combination of presentations by PhD students, contributions from experts and space for interaction with the audience.

Previous PhD symposia

• Caring for the elderly in humanitarian crises
  An international symposium organised around the PhD research of Elburg van Boetzelaer, associated with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and UMC Utrecht. The symposium brought together experts from humanitarian aid, geriatrics, human rights and global health around the often underexposed position of older people in emergencies.
• Access to cancer care for children worldwide
  A symposium leading up to the PhD of Larissa Klootwijk, doctor of international health, affiliated with the Princess Máxima Centre, on access to pediatric cancer care in low- and middle-income countries. Speakers from the Princess Máxima Centre, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kenya, Universitas Gadjah Mada in Indonesia and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, among others, shared perspectives from research and practice.

PhD candidate?

Are you at the end of your PhD track and would you like to bring your research to a wider audience? And would you like to highlight the social relevance of your work? We help you develop a symposium that suits your research, network and ambitions - from content positioning to practical organisation.