SFOA09082U Interdisciplinary Aspects of Healthy Aging
Population aging is one of the most important demographic events of the 21st century. For the first time, the elderly population will make up the larger part of our society and this will profoundly impact citizens and society, economically, politically and socially. Recent years have seen increasing interest in understanding healthy aging, the ability of the individual to maintain sufficient physical, mental and social energy to live active and meaningful lives. The course, offered by the Center for Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen, on behalf of the IARU network, will focus on exploring the aging phenomena through an interdisciplinary lens with a special focus on the concept of energy, a key component of healthy aging. Energy relates to processes at the cellular as well as the individual level and has not only physical but also important psychological and social dimensions which affect every facet of life. The course will take a starting point in the newly published book, Growing Older Without Feeling Old: On Vitality and Ageing by Professor Rudi Westendorp.
The objective of this course is to gain interdisciplinary knowledge and research experience in the field of aging to better understand how people can live more energetic lives and enjoy a robust older age. The objective will be achieved through a combination of lectures, interactive discussions and project work in which students will conduct aging research projects under the supervision of experienced researchers from the Center of Healthy Aging.
The lectures will cover basic knowledge in different aging research disciplines including: humanities, social science, public health, epidemiology, neurology, physiology and molecular biology.
Students will carry out a research project in small groups under the supervision of the Center for Healthy Aging researchers. These projects span disciplines from molecular biology to the humanities. Hence, the projects will represent different scientific methods from: laboratory work, to statistics and qualitative analysis.
After completing the course, the student is expected to be able to:
Knowledge:
- Define the aging population's associated social, economic, and political impacts.
- Define aging related research areas
- Define the main methods that can be used to conduct aging research
- Explain the principles for carrying out interdisciplinary aging research
- Summarize principles for collaborating with people from different educational and cultural background
Skills:
- Assess the problems related to the aging population
- Evaluate and discuss to various ‘aging-population’ related issues
- Evaluate the research methods and identify research collaborators to address ‘aging population’ related questions
- Structure and conduct scientific presentations
- Organize and conduct molecular biology experiments, statistical analysis or qualitative analysis with supervision
Competence:
- Coordinate with the others by both writing and speaking in a professional, scientific manner
- Plan research in the aging research fields
- Take leadership and responsibility when working with people from different educational and cultural backgrounds
- Independently adapt to a new environment and take responsibility for their professional development and specialization further.
The students are asked to read a number of research articles together with the newly published book: Westendorp, Rudi (2015): Growing Older Without Feeling Old: On Vitality and Ageing, Scribe. More information will be available later.
The course also includes three excursions and two dinners, as part of the social program.
- Category
- Hours
- Exam
- 29
- Lectures
- 20
- Preparation
- 32
- Project work
- 50
- Seminar
- 7
- Total
- 138
Please find application form at the summer course web page: http://healthsciences.ku.dk/education/summercourses/
Registration is also possible via IARU: http://www.iaruni.org/gsp.
- Credit
- 5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
- Written assignmentThe course will be evaluated by a 10 page report. The report will be based on the course work, lectures and scientific literature.
In addition to the written report, active participation in the research projects, plenary discussions and an oral presentation is a prerequisite for completing the written report. - Aid
- All aids allowed
- Marking scale
- passed/not passed
- Censorship form
- No external censorship
- Exam period
A report must be submitted on the last day of the course.
Criteria for exam assesment
The written report should cover the practical project the student has carried out. The following learning goals should be adressed:
Knowledge:
- Define the aging population associated social, economic, and political impacts.
- Define aging related research areas
- Define the main methods that can be used to conduct aging research
- Explain the principles for carrying out interdisciplinary aging research
Skills:
- Assess the problems related to the aging population
- Evaluate and discuss to various ‘aging-population’ related issues
- Evaluate the research methods and identify research collaborators to address ‘aging population’ related questions
- Organize and conduct molecular biology experiments, statistical analysis or qualitative analysis
Competence:
- Writing in a professional, scientific manner
- Demonstrate how to plan research in the aging research fields
Course information
- Language
- English
- Course code
- SFOA09082U
- Credit
- 5 ECTS
- Level
- Full Degree MasterFull Degree Master choice
- Duration
- The summer school will take place at UCPH, at various parts of campus.
Summer school on campus 4-24 July 2016. - Placement
- Summer
- Schedule
- Full time schedule.
- Course capacity
- 24 participants.
The course is offered as part of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU) Global Summer Program (GSP) http://www.iaruni.org/gsp. Thus, priority will be given to students from these universities, incl. University of Copenhagen. - Continuing and further education
- Price
- Students (Msc) enrolled at UCPH: no tuition fee
- IARU students whose home university has a GSP exchange agreement with UCPH: no tuition fee
- Postgraduate participants EU/EAA citizens: Tuition fee of DKK 4000
- Participants non- EU/EAA citizens: Tuition fee of DKK 6250
- Study board
- The Staff-Student Committee of the Bachelor/Master of Science in Public Health
Contracting departments
- Department of Public Health
- Department of Anthropology
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine
- Department of Clinical Medicine
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology
- SAXO-Institute - Archaeology, Ethnology, Greek & Latin, History
Course responsibles
- Jolene Lee Masters Pedersen (4-7075766b46797b746a34717b346a71)
- Rudi GJ Westendorp (10-83717f80717a707b7e7c4c7f817a703a77813a7077)
Lecturers
Scientists from Center for Healthy Aging (CEHA) at UCPH:
- Department of Biomedical Sciences
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine
- Department of Clinical Medicine
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology
- Department of Public Health
- Department of Anthropology
- The Saxo Institute
Representatives from private organizations and foreign experts
within aging research as well as within business and
innovation.