WFN Exchange Programme

Germany - Africa (Cape Town)

The World Federation of Neurology (WFN) and the German Society for Neurology (DGN) and the Division of Neurology of the University of Cape Town (UCT) are pleased to announce a new exchange programme allowing one young neurologist colleague from Germany to visit the Department of Neurology at the University of Cape Town, Groote Schuur Hospital, in Cape Town, South Africa.

The purpose is to have an immersive eight-week observational clinical experience in either the fields of neuroinfectious disease or neurotraumatology in a busy neurologic center staffed by expert faculty, providing exposure to these neurologic disorders, clinical scenarios, and research questions in a resource-limited setting. 

This experience includes the following Clinical, Competency, and Academic objectives:

• Clinical:
  • Knowledge of the clinical manifestations, diagnostics, and management of the most common neurological infectious diseases or neurotraumatological injuries in the target region.
  • Improvement of clinical decision-making under limited diagnostic possibilities.
  • Safe performance and interpretation of lumbar puncture for infectious diseases.
  • Understanding the role of basic imaging (e.g., CT, if available) in trauma and infections in this context.
• Competency-Based:
  • Development of adaptability and resilience in a demanding environment.
  • Strengthening intercultural communication and cooperation skills.
  • Improvement of the ability to prioritize and act pragmatically.
  •  Increased understanding of global health inequalities.
• Academic/Project-Based (optional):
  • Collection of case reports or data for a small study
  • Contribution to the development of local training materials or protocols (in consultation).

APPLY NOW

Further information in Appendix

Information about WFN and the DGN and the University of Cape Town

The World Federation of Neurology (WFN) was formed in Brussels in 1957 as an association of national neurological societies. Today the WFN represents 126 professional societies in all regions of the world. The mission of the WFN is to foster quality neurology and brain health worldwide, a goal we seek to achieve by promoting global neurological education and training, with the emphasis placed firmly on under-resourced parts of the world.

The German Neurological Society (DGN) was initially founded as the “Gesellschaft Deutscher Nervenärzte” in 1907 by Wilhelm Erb. In 1935, the society was dissolved by the Nazi government. The re-establishment of the society took place in 1950 by Heinrich Pette. The DGN is part of the Association of the Scientific Medical Societies in Germany (AWMF). In recent years, the DGN has become a fast-growing society which represents more than 13,000 members in Germany.

Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH) is a large, public sector, tertiary teaching hospital linked to the University of Cape Town (UCT). It serves approximately three million people in the context of a WHO middle income country. The Division of Neurology at GSH prides itself on the quality of its clinical teaching and is committed to both clinical excellence and meaningful neuroscience research in the African context. We have the highest publication output of any neurology training centre in South Africa. Particular areas of clinical and research interest include tuberculous and other CNS infections, neurotraumatology, stroke, myasthenia gravis, epilepsy, motor neurone disease and other neuromuscular disorders, HIV-related polyneuropathies, HIV-related dementia, as well as scholarly research involving the effectiveness of Web-based and blended neurology education in resource constrained settings.

Application

Criteria for application:

• Fluency in English (preferably C1 level)
• Training assistant in neurology
• At least one year of clinical experience, including a rotation in the emergency department
• Member of the DGN

To apply for this programme, you will need to submit the following: 

• Curriculum vitae (CV) in tabular form
• Letter of motivation (max. two pages): Why are you interested in the program, exchange with South Africa? Which experience are you interested in: neuroinfectiology or neurotraumatology? (If applicable, include any personal experiences with the country and in the fields of neuroinfectiology or neurotraumatology.)
• Signed declaration of commitment from the department chair regarding release from work for the exchange program 
• Official certificate of final state examination

Duration of the scholarship and timeframe

8 weeks in Summer 2026

Details about support

The WFN and the DGN will provide the following support:

• Travel expenses Germany – Africa – Germany
• Accommodation 
• Living expenses (food and beverage) during the eight weeks
• Costs of health insurance during the stay in Cape Town

Attention: Please note that support is provided for the visiting fellow only and does not include family or dependents.
 

Evaluation Committee

• Wolfgang Grisold, WFN President
• Steven Lewis, WFN Education Committee Chair/ Secretary General
• Riadh Gouider, WFN Co-Chair Education Committee
• Lawrence Tucker, Cape Town TC Chair 
• Helmar Lehmann, Chair Young Neurology Subcommittee
• Daniela Berg, President of the DGN
• Prof. Uta Meyding-Lamadé, DGN 
• Prof Berlit, DGN

Deadline for Application

Friday, 2nd January 2026

For any questions regarding the application, please contact Mrs Jade Levy (Project Manager) by email at jade@wfneurology.org.

Appendix

The successful, fully sponsored applicant will be a recently qualified neurologist and will have observer status only.

This young neurologist: will report to Prof Lawrence Tucker (Head: Division of Neurology), and/or Prof Suzaan Marais (Head: Neuroinfection Group) and/or Prof Patrick Semple (Neurosurgeon and Head: of the Neurotrauma Intensive Care Unit)

He/she will be provided with desk space in the Neuroscience Institute immediately adjacent to Groote Schuur Hospital. Edu roam Wi-Fi is available

Conditional on the consent of the relevant consultant in charge, he/she is welcome to attend any or all of the following:

• Twice weekly ward rounds in the neurology wards where between 30 and 50% of patients are typically HIV-reactive
• Weekly dedicated Neuroinfection clinics
• Twice weekly neurology outpatient clinics
• Weekly Neuroinfection outreach visits to secondary hospitals, where most HIV-related neuro-opportunistic conditions are managed
• Weekly in-person neurology and neurosurgery radiology meetings
• Weekly Neurology Grand Round case presentations
• Twice weekly ward rounds in the neurosurgery wards where the majority of patients have sustained traumatic brain injury
• Daily rounds in the Neurotrauma intensive care unit
• Daily rounds in the medical intensive care unit
• Twice weekly NCS/EMG clinics
• EEG interpretation (daily "over the shoulder" and weekly live teaching seminars)
• Exposure to other activities is available depending on interest.

The successful applicant may occasionally be asked to provide some teaching to our residents with regards to those non-communicable neurological conditions, which are less commonly seen in our environment, therapies which are not currently available to us in Africa (e.g. biologicals etc.)