The Postdoctoral Society is run by postdocs and represents the interests of the postdocs within the structures of Stellenbosch University. Apart from this representative role, the PDS aims to connect postdocs via meetings, events and social activities. Every postdoc of Stellenbosch University automatically is a member of the PDS.          

The PDS is organised according to their Constitution. Since 2017, the status of postdocs at Stellenbosch University is defined by the Postdoctoral Research Fellow Policy. According to this policy, postdocs are neither students nor staff but define their own category within all university structures, with their own rights and responsibilities. The policy also includes basic rights and responsibilities of the respective hosts of the postdocs, which are individualised in the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) each postdoc has to sign.          

Every year an Executive Committee (Exec) consisting of a minimum of 5 postdocs is elected by the PDS. The Exec meets once a month with the Division for Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies to discuss and resolve issues that have been brought to the attention of the Exec.          

The Exec also organises regular PDS meetings and social activities, and a number of other events including a yearly Research Day or Conference (typically in October), Meet and Greet's (March and October), Year-End Functions (December) and is also involved in the yearly Workshop organised by the Division for Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies to welcome new postdocs (March).

The PDS meetings aim to provide a platform to meet your fellow postdocs and discuss topics and share your research, and also allows to bring issues to the attention of the Exec. The meetings typically take place in the Wilcocks Building during lunchtime hours, some basic catering is provided. The meetings are announced via email. Social activities and events are also circulated via email, for which the Exec organises transport.

The Exec can be contacted via postdocs@sun.ac.za and on their facebook page. Every postdoc is automatically added to the postdocs mailing list. You can add yourself to the postdocs mailing list by sending an empty email to sympa@sympa.sun.ac.za with the subject: "subscribe postdocs_drd@sympa.sun.ac.za" Send the email from the email address which you want to add to the mailing list. Use the keyword "unsubscribe" instead of "subscribe" to unsubscribe.​​​​​​​​​​​