SGLK15010U Cross-disciplinary Health Research Field course in Sri Lanka

Volume 2015/2016
Content

Overall program format

2 weeks in Kandy, University of Peradeniya

  • Introduction to Health research at University of Peradeniya
  • Introduction to the urban health system and institutions (lectures and field visits)
  • ​Introduction to main health challenges and selected health topics (lectures and field visits)
  • Field visits to health institutions and research sites and Group work

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1 week in Anuradhapura, University of Rajarata

  • Introduction to Health research at University of Rajarata
  • Introduction to the rural health system and institutions (lectures and field visits)
  • Introduction to alternative Ayurveda health providers and institutions
  • Introduction to NGOs and research field work (lectures and field visits)
  • Field visits to health institutions and research sites and Group work
  • The course will end with a research symposium with group presentation
Learning Outcome

The overall objective of this course is to provide students with the knowledge, skills and competences to understand health promotion and challenges in a middle income setting – as Sri Lanka. Upon completion of the course, the student will:

Knowledge

  • Have gained a good understand of the challenges of urban, rural, private and government health systems and health challenges in a middle-income and rapidly changing socio-economic setting of Sri Lanka
  • Demonstrate in-depth understanding of a specific global health problem and research priorities as it presents itself in the Sri Lankan context

 

Skills

  • Be able to reflect upon the selection of research methods to study contemporary health care challenges in the context of Sri Lanka
  • Have a basic understanding of the broad variety of health research methods and designs as applied by Sri Lankan and international research actors including clinical and epidemiological research, bio sampling, GIS mapping, community surveys and qualitative/humanistic health research

 

Competences

  • Have competences in conducting fieldwork in cross-disciplinary groups, and thus gaining crucial future research competence
- Basic level of knowledge in research methodology at bachelor's level.
- Proficient communication skills (written/oral) in English, as the entire course will be conducted in English
This course is aimed at master level students with interest in all aspects of health, including academic background and/or have experience with veterinary medicine, environmental health/geography, humanistic aspects of health, epidemiology, medicine, anthropology, public health etc.
The course is an interdisciplinary course applying many different learning activities including lectures, field visits, group work, report writing, verbal presentations, and self-reflections. We aim to present as many different research approaches and activities as possible during the course.

The group work is central for the course, where students independently pursue insights, through field visits into a selected health topic, guided by a Sri Lankan faculty member or health expert, and in corporation with Sri Lankan post graduate students as co-researchers and interpreters.

Topics which can be explored during group work includes (but are not limited to):

- Environmental Health, Agriculture, Climate change, Disaster management
- Maternal/Reproductive, Child health, and nutrition
- NCDs, including kidney disease, tobacco/alcohol, cancers, mental health, injuries, traffic
- Health promotion, health education, and Health Communication
- Alternative medical systems/local healing practices (Ayurvedic medicine and Bhuddism)
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Field Work
  • 100
  • Lectures
  • 25
  • Preparation
  • 81,25
  • Total
  • 206,25
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written assignment
Students will be divided into groups and hand in a group report at the end of the course.

The report should contain:

- Introduction and background on a selected health topic (its scale, current knowledge and evidence, and implementation challenges)
- Future intervention and research priorities for the selected health topic
- Propose a research studies for the selected health topic (a mini research proposal)
- Self-reflections on the course (thought about being exposed to a foreign research environment)
Aid
All aids allowed
Marking scale
passed/not passed
Censorship form
No external censorship
Criteria for exam assesment

Upon completion of the course, the student will:

Knowledge

  • Have gained a good understand of the challenges of urban, rural, private and government health systems and health challenges in a middle-income and rapidly changing socio-economic setting of Sri Lanka
  • Demonstrate in-depth understanding of a specific global health problem and research priorities as it presents itself in the Sri Lankan context

 

Skills

  • Be able to reflect upon the selection of research methods to study contemporary health care challenges in the context of Sri Lanka
  • Have a basic understanding of the broad variety of health research methods and designs as applied by Sri Lankan and international research actors including clinical and epidemiological research, bio sampling, GIS mapping, community surveys and qualitative/humanistic health research

 

Competences

  • Have competences in conducting fieldwork in cross-disciplinary groups, and thus gaining crucial future research competence