SGLK17003U Urbanisation and Health – global and local perspectives with Copenhagen as a case

Volume 2017/2018
Education

MSc in Global Health - electives

Content

Through a combination of lectures, discussions and field visits the participants will be introduced to inter-disciplinary, research-based and solution-oriented approaches to the public health challenges of urbanization. Examples from urban settings around the world will be provided together with a selected location in Copenhagen that will serve as the real-life case.

Through group work the participants will practice methods to involve the user perspective and wider stakeholder viewpoints as a way of informing priority setting and design of urban public space.

The course will focus on promotion of health and wellbeing in the urban environment across age groups and socio-economic positions. Furthermore, the course will focus upon urban adaptation to climate change, management of environmental health risks, and opportunities of green urban development on health.

Learning Outcome

The objective of the course is to provide the student with knowledge, skills and competences to identify, comprehend, analyse, discuss, and pursue approaches to address priority urban health challenges in local and global contexts. Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:

Knowledge
Demonstrate an in-depth knowledge about predominant local and global urban trends and the related health challenges and responses in terms of climate, demography, infrastructure, environmental risks, green space, physical activity, and socio-economic factors.

Skills
Analyse and discuss the dynamics of selected features of urban health with reference to relevant literature, cases and evidence.

Competencies
Make observations and collect data about current condition and practices and perceived health challenges and opportunities in a given urban location, including relevant stakeholders in this process and integrating range of reflections and findings in a proposal to be presented at the end of the course.

In order for the participants to prepare and familiarize themselves with the relevant topics and methodologies for each course module selected elective and mandatory readings and other resources will be made available prior to course start.

This is a Master level course aimed at students as well as professionals in all fields of social and natural sciences, public health, humanities, engineering, architecture and business with an interest in sustainable urban development, who at least hold a completed Bachelor degree (or equivalent).
Lectures, and facilitation of field visits and group work will be provided by a mix of researchers and staff from the Departments of Public Health, Anthropology, and Geoscience and Natural Resource Management at the University of Copenhagen with support from external partners incl. experts from the School of Architecture, the Municipality of Copenhagen, the Copenhagen utility company “HOFOR”, and international organisations.
A core element of the course will relate to the group assignment aimed at proposing ways to improve health and wellbeing among users of a particular urban space selected in partnership with the Municipality of Copenhagen. In this process participants divided into multi-disciplinary groups will collect a range of data making use of the theories and methods introduced by the lecturers and in the readings.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Exam
  • 6
  • Lectures
  • 24
  • Preparation
  • 68
  • Project work
  • 40
  • Total
  • 138
Oral
Collective
Continuous feedback during the course of the semester
Feedback by final exam (In addition to the grade)
Credit
5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Practical oral examination
Continuous assessment with final oral exam.
During the summer school, the students work on a case-based project in groups.
On the last day to pass the course the project must be presented by the groups to and approved by a panel of experts including representatives from the University of Copenhagen and selected stakeholders from the outside.
Marking scale
passed/not passed
Censorship form
No external censorship
One internal examiner
Exam period

Please see the exam plan

Re-exam

Please see the exam plan

Criteria for exam assesment

Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:

Knowledge
Demonstrate an in-depth knowledge about predominant local and global urban trends and the related health challenges and responses in terms of climate, demography, infrastructure, environmental risks, green space, physical activity, and socio-economic factors.

Skills
Analyse and discuss the dynamics of selected features of urban health with reference to relevant literature, cases and evidence.

Competencies
Make observations and collect data about current condition and practices and perceived health challenges and opportunities in a given urban location, including relevant stakeholders in this process and integrating range of reflections and findings in an end-of-course presentation.