The Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU) is a South African partner institution of the Bakeng se Afrika consortium. SMU was established on the 16th of May 2014 when the Medunsa Campus demerged from the University of Limpopo. SMU is inspired by the legacy of Sefako Makgatho, a courageous leader, educator and 2nd president of the African National Congress. SMU is one of three newly established post-apartheid universities embodying all the ideals of an inclusive, non-racial, non-sexist, transformed and democratic South Africa. It is the only university in South Africa with an exclusive focus on health sciences education implying a special responsibility towards the country to produce highly qualified health personnel with competencies to meet the health care needs of South Africans in the most effective way. 

Academic activities take place in five Schools: School of Medicine, School of Health Care Sciences, School of Oral Health Sciences, School of Science And Technology and School of Pharmacy. The Department of Anatomy and Histology, by its intimate involvement in the teaching of students at all levels, is uniquely connected to three of the five Schools, which promotes interdisciplinary research. This department was involved in the Erasmus Mundus grant: “AESOP” mobilising four staff members and enabling the acquisition of an adequate computer for the manipulation of high resolution images.

SMU contributes to the Bakeng se Afrika project through promoting, marketing and disseminating results using various means (websites, media interviews, newsletters, conferences). SMU is actively involved in the project implementation by hosting postgraduate students and staff members from programme countries and sending students from SMU to other participating universities and organisations in South Africa and Europe for digital data generation, data collection and other activities. SMU takes part in formalising research projects, writing protocols and SOP's, scanning and photographing the skeletal collection, as well as organising workshops for staff and students to assist with manuscript and protocol writing, 3D imaging and statistical analysis (geometric morphometric, biostatistics). SMU also hosted two Interim Meetings in 2020 and 2021 and developed virtual platforms for that purpose.

More information

	Contact person: Prof Anna C. Oettlé
	Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University website
	Bakeng se Afrika on SMU website