30-year Epidemiology Symposium
Martien van Dongen was awarded the FHML Great Education Award
On Wednesday 2 November 2011, The Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, hosted a one-day symposium to honour their 30th anniversary.
Some 90 guests, including former alumni, attended at the Van der Valk Hotel in Maastricht where they were treated to presentations from:
| Prof.dr. Ferd Sturmans | Epidemiology in a historical perspective; (originally the first speaker but due to personal circumstances he was not in attendance and his spot was taken over by Prof. Martin Prins, Chairman, Epidemiology) |
| Prof.dr. IJmart Kant | Critical Appraisal of a Topic: An indispensable tool throughout the era of Evidence Based Medicine; |
| Dr. Martien van Dongen | Advanced Epidemiology |
| Prof.dr. Rob de Bie | The future of epidemiology education in Maastricht |
During the symposium friends, colleagues and alumni paid tribute to Dr. Martien van Dongen for his contributions and dedication to both Dutch and International programmes. Martien joined the UM (formerly known as University of Limburg) on November 1, 1981. Ferd Sturmans, the founding Father of Epidemiology in the Netherlands, moved from Nijmegen to Maastricht and invited Martien to join him.
* Ferd became the head of the Department of Epidemiology and later Dean, Faculty of Medicine.
Unbeknown to Martien his involvement with the symposium on the past, present and future of education in Epidemiology was tactfully thought out so it would lead into the surprise presentation and eventual reunion of sorts. The ruse was up when Martien did “his own thing”. The scheduled open forum discussion ‘The Future of Education in Epidemiology’ was replaced with the story of ‘Martien van Dongen’. Martien was awarded the FHML Great Education Award and to mark the occasion, received a bronze statue created by the Limburg’s sculptor Frans Duckers. The prestigious FHML Education Prize is not an annual event, but rather an award that is given only on special request and recommendation and only after a careful screening procedure.
The day ended with a musical rendition of ‘Life is Good in the County of Brabant’, music by Thijs van der Molen, text by Epidemiology staff members, suitable for the occasion: Martien took control of the microphone and was backed up by the staff members.
The Alumni Office would like to extend their congratulations to the Department of Epidemiology and Dr. van Dongen
