COP2 - Interdisciplinary Aspects of Healthy Aging

3 July 2017 – 21 July 2017
Hosted by University of Copenhagen

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 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 objective of this course is to gain interdisciplinary knowledge and research experience in the field of aging to better understand how people can live energetic lives and enjoy a robust older age. The following sub objectives will be achieved over three weeks from July 3-21 2017:

Week one: The main objective in week one is to provide knowledge on the interdisciplinary nature of the aging phenotype and how to evaluate the strengths and limitations of such research.

Week two: The objectives of week two are to bring the students closer to the scientific research process and to give the students the opportunity to design an interdisciplinary research project.

Week three: The objective in week 3 is to assist the students in exploring how interdisciplinary research projects are defined and evaluated.

The objectives 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.

https://video.ku.dk/interdisciplinary-summer-school-healthy-aging

Field Trip

Visit to a Danish healthcare facility

Different social activities and field trips will be arranged: 

• The field trips include: Visits to different departments of CEHA during the practical projects, a visit to a selected Danish healthcare facility
• The social program includes: Two dinners and Tivoli.

Target Audience

The target audience is Master Students. Bachelor students in their 3rd year are also welcome to apply.

Prerequisites

Students from any discipline, who have interests in aging research, and have good English skills are welcome to apply for this course.

Delivery Method & Learning Outcomes

The teaching methods in this course include:

• Lectures
• Close supervision in practical projects and interdisciplinary groups
• Group discussions and presentations

The lectures will cover basic knowledge in different aging research disciplines including: humanities, social science, public health, epidemiology, neurology, physiology and molecular biology.

The students will carry out hands on research projects in small groups under the supervision of researchers representing CEHA’s three themes. These projects span the disciplines that comprise CEHA, and thus represent different scientific methods from: laboratory work, to data analysis and qualitative research.

The students will be grouped in interdisciplinary groups, mentored by top aging researchers, who will assist the students in designing an interdisciplinary research project, based on their disciplinary experiences, the lectures and the relevant literature. 

Within the interdisciplinary student groups, students will write a grant proposal which will be presented and defended in a mock grant trial at the end of the course.

Learning Outcome

After the course, the participants will gain:

Knowledge

• On aging as a complex phenotype that necessitates research integrating concepts from the humanities, social sciences, epidemiology, neurology, physiology and molecular biology.
• On defining the necessary methods that can be used to conduct aging research.
• On the principles for carrying out interdisciplinary aging research.

Skills

• To evaluate and discuss the essential concepts of aging from an interdisciplinary perspective.
• To critically assess the strengths and weaknesses of aging research presented in the course.
• To discuss and evaluate research methods presented.
• To conduct simple experiments, statistical analyses or qualitative analysis under supervision.
• To synthesize and present current knowledge and practical experiences into a research proposal.
• To transform a research proposal into a grant application.

Competences

• To independently adapt to a new environment and take responsibility for professional development.
• To collaborate and effectively communicate with peers from different disciplines
• To critically evaluate and acquire new knowledge and to reflect on how this can be incorporated into other contexts.
• To evaluate presentations on research proposals of peers.

Assessment

The assessment is based on two parts:

• Course participation
• Written examination 

Course participation: Active participation (80 % attendance) in the course incl. an oral group presentation (defense of the research proposal) and critical evaluation of presentations of peers.

Written examination: Written grant application of max. 10 pages handed in on the last day of the course.

Active course participation is a prerequisite for writing the report.

Credit equivalent at host university & contact hours

5 ECTS credits (30 credits is a full semester load)
70 total contact hours (classroom) + 15 field trip hours (excluding self-study hours)

Lecturer(s) / Tutor(s)

Scientists from Center for Healthy Aging (CEHA) at UCPH and foreign experts within the aging research field, including researchers from other IARU partners.

Accommodation

Accommodation is available through http://housingfoundation.ku.dk/ and/or http://studies.ku.dk/summer/housing-for-summer-course where:

Students must arrive by 2 July 2017.
Students will be able to check in from 1 July 2017.
Check-out date: 31 July 2016.

Students have the option to stay longer upon request.

However students may find accommodation on their own, but must arrive one day prior course start.

Costs

Figures are estimates only. Click on each item for details.

Scholarships/funding for incoming students

Novo Nordisk International Talent Programme (NNITP) offers scholarships to incoming students from IARU universities participating in a summer school or semester program for up to one year.

The scholarship may be spent towards the cost of tuition fees, travel costs, insurance, and other expenses incurred in connection with studying abroad at UCPH.

The scholarship will typically amount to approximately EURO € 1200 a month.

Application deadline is 1 April 2017.

You can read more about application procedures and the NNITP at the UCPH International Education & Grants homepage.

Visa

Estimate of visa fee: Only for students from non EU/EEA and non-visa waiving countries. Please visit https://www.nyidanmark.dk/en-us/coming_to_dk/visa/visa.htm to find out if you need a visa and how to apply. We encourage you to begin the application process as soon as you are enlisted in the course. Please note, that the fees implied and documentation requirements are set by each diplomatic mission.

Required and/or Recommended Insurance(s)

http://studies.ku.dk/welcome/living-in-copenhagen/health-and-safety/insurance/

Further required Application Material

We select our candidates primarily based on their motivation for participation and level of English skills: 

The applicants must write and submit an essay (max. 1 page) about their interests in health and aging.

The applicants must also demonstrate good oral and written English skills and satisfactory academic performance.

Further Information

http://healthyaging.ku.dk/
http://healthyaging.ku.dk/for_students/iaru_summerschool/2017/
http://studies.ku.dk/welcome/

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