“It is all about mentorship!”– Professor David Ring
The Flinders–Holland Cotutelle Program brings together high-potential PhD candidates from the University of Amsterdam (UvA), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU), University of Groningen (RUG), Radboud University, Erasmus University Rotterdam, and Flinders University (FU). Candidates are enrolled within both participating PhD curricula and graduate schools, creating a truly integrated international training experience. Selected students receive a waiver of tuition fees during their exchange period, together with a competitive PhD stipend to support their research abroad.
PhD candidates spend a minimum of one year at the Department of Orthopaedic Trauma Surgery at Flinders Medical Centre (FMC) in Adelaide, Australia, and at least one year at affiliated orthopaedic departments in the Netherlands. During this time, they undertake clinically focused, state-of-the-art scientific research, including experimental studies, imaging research, cohort studies, and randomized clinical trials. A unique strength of the program is its collaboration with the Australian Institute for Machine Learning (AIML), one of the world’s leading centres in computer vision and artificial intelligence research. This partnership bridges the gap between advanced AI methodology and real-world clinical application in orthopaedic surgery. The collaboration has resulted in numerous peer-reviewed publications, including the development of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for fracture recognition and classification, as well as machine learning–based prediction models to support clinical decision-making. Further details can be found in the “Research Output” section of the website.
Professors Job Doornberg and Ruurd Jaarsma pictured with internationally renowned academic Orthopaedic Hand Surgeon Professor David Ring at the University of Texas at Austin, where Professor Ring is currently based. Professor Ring was a core mentor for Professor Doornberg during his own overseas PhD training in Boston.
To obtain both a Dutch and Australian PhD degree, candidates must successfully complete all curriculum and examination requirements, produce a substantial body of peer-reviewed research, and defend their thesis at both institutions. The program emphasises methodological rigor, international collaboration, and clinically relevant scientific innovation.
Our mission is to train the next generation of clinician-scientists: junior medical doctors who combine academic curiosity with clinical excellence and who are equipped to become future leaders in orthopaedic surgery and research.
The successful PhD defence of Dr Reinier Spek (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen/Flinders University), entitled ‘Navigating New Waters in Proximal Humerus Fractures.’
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In 2017, I had the opportunity to travel to Adelaide, Australia, to undertake hands-on Orthopaedic Trauma Fellowship training at Flinders Medical Centre under the mentorship of Professor Ruurd Jaarsma. Alongside high-level clinical training within the combined Flinders Medical Centre and Royal Adelaide Hospital orthopaedic training program, I was introduced to the outstanding academic and research environment at Flinders University.
At the time, I had already experienced the success of the longstanding collaboration between the Orthopaedic Hand and Upper Extremity Service at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston and the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Academic Medical Centre in Amsterdam. It became clear that Adelaide possessed many of the same ingredients that make internationally leading academic environments successful: outstanding mentorship, strong clinical training, collaborative culture, and access to innovative research infrastructure!
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The Flinders–Holland Cotutelle Program was built on these principles. Students work within a collaborative, team-oriented research environment at the Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery at Flinders. They have access to a high-volume Level 1 Trauma Centre, the Flinders Biomechanics Laboratory, and internationally recognised collaborators including AIML.
Over time, the program has evolved into a successful long-term collaboration, with multiple generations of Dutch and Australian students completing short-term scientific internships and dual-degree PhDs. The combination of clinical exposure, research mentorship, and international collaboration provides trainees with a unique academic experience that extends well beyond traditional doctoral education.
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Flinders-Holland Cotutelle program to train junior Medical Students and Medical Students to become fully skilled clinician-scientists by obtaining their PhD degrees and become leaders in their field to inspire future generations of surgeons!
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Applications are open for both short-term scientific internships (6–12 months in Adelaide) and long-term Cotutelle PhD positions (minimum one year in Adelaide). Candidates should demonstrate a strong interest in orthopaedic research and have prior research experience, including at least one accepted peer-reviewed publication.
Applicants are invited to submit:
A motivation letter
Curriculum vitae
Written support from their home university in the Netherlands
A recommendation letter from their Dutch supervisor
Applications can be submitted through the website via the “Apply Now” section.
- Professor Job N. Doornberg, MD, PhD
Program Director and Founder Flinders-Holland Cotutelle and Harvard-Holland Research Exchange Programs
Orthopaedic Trauma Surgeon, University Medical Centre Groningen (UMCG)
Professor Clinical Applications of Artificial Intelligence, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen & Flinders University
Former Trauma Fellow Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide
Founder & Research Director, UMCG “Applied AI Accelerator A3” Lab
Photography from the PhD defence of Rijksuniversiteit Groningen and Flinders University Cotutelle candidate Dr Jasper Prijs (10 November 2025)