The course was organised by the Oxford University Global Surgery Group within the Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences in partnership with the Oxford Paediatrics Linking Our Research with Electives (OxPLORE) international network of medical students, trainees and researchers.
This year’s course was designed specifically for members of the OxPLORE Group as part of preparations for the new GEP-SAIL study (Global Multicentre comparison of Emergency Paediatric Surgery Admissions across Income Levels). The study aims to compare emergency paediatric surgery care across differently resourced centres, identify disparities in diagnostic and surgical access, and document actions to improve the delivery of emergency paediatric surgery globally.
Led by Dr Dennis Mazingi with faculty including Professor Kokila Lakhoo, Dr Gerlin Naidoo, Dr Soham Bandyopadhyay, Professor Ashok Handa, Mr Noel Peter, and Dr Kat Ford, the course covered the full spectrum of research skills, from formulating research questions and designing studies to analysing data, writing, and dissemination. Sessions also emphasised the importance of collaboration and local relevance in global surgical research.
Notably, participants included members of ZASIT (Zimbabwe Association of Surgeons in Training) and the Student Surgical Network of the Surgical Society of Zimbabwe, reflecting the course’s growing engagement with early-career researchers and trainees in partner countries. This is the latest iteration of the course that has been run for some years from India to the Philippines, Cote d’Ivoire, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and many other countries. The next course will be run as an in-person pre-conference workshop at the annual COSECSA Congress in Bujumbura, Burundi later this month.
The Oxford Research Training Course continues to strengthen research capacity and foster equitable partnerships in global surgery, equipping the next generation of clinician-scientists to lead impactful, collaborative research.