Utrecht University
Public University • NL
Showing 10 courses from Utrecht University
Clinical Epidemiology
Utrecht University (via Coursera)
Evidence forms the basis of modern medicine. Clinical research provides us with this evidence, guiding health professionals towards solutions to problems that they face in daily practice. Transferring existing problems in medical practice to a research setting is a challenging process that requires careful consideration. The practice of clinical epidemiology aims to address this through the application of established approaches for research in human populations, while at all times focussing on the problem at hand from a clinical perspective. This course teaches the principles and practice of clinical epidemiology, drawing on real problems faced by medical professionals and elaborating on existing examples of clinical research. Medical researchers will lean how to translate real clinical problems into tangible research questions for investigation, gaining insight into some of the most important considerations when designing an epidemiological study along the way. Core concepts will be introduced along four key themes: diagnosis, prognosis, treatment and etiology. Followers of this course will develop their understanding of the topics addressed through lectures from experts, peer interaction and review assignments.
The exposome: cracking the science about what makes us sick
Utrecht University (via Coursera)
What are the causes of disease? We know that most diseases result from a combination of genes and environment (nature and nurture). Our genes alone do not determine our fate. For most complex diseases, externalities - environmental factors in the broad sense - are more important. This includes our living and working environments, diet, social support and stress, pollution, and exposure to infectious agents. Exposome research is about discovering the non-genetic drivers of health and disease. Derived from the term exposure, the Exposome represents the totality of exposures we face throughout our lifetime. It also represents the biological responses that arise from external exposures. In this course, 7 researchers from Utrecht University and/or the NWO Gravitation programme Exposome-NL will offer their expertise. We will introduce you to the Exposome concept; why it’s important; how we measure the exposome; and the data sciences steps needed to establish associations with health outcomes. This course will conclude with reflections on what is needed to advance this nascent and transformative field of research. Exposome research requires transdisciplinary approaches. Therefore, this MOOC will be of interest to current and prospective students and researchers in the fields of public health, environmental health, life sciences, clinical medicine, geosciences, humanities, and social and behavioural sciences.
Human Rights for Open Societies
Utrecht University (via Coursera)
Human rights are under pressure in many places across the globe. Peaceful protests are violently quashed. Voting is tampered with. And minorities are often excluded from decision-making. All of this threatens the ideal of an open society in which each of us can be free and participate equally. A solid protection of human rights is needed for an open society to exist and to flourish. But it is often an uphill battle to work towards that ideal. Equip yourself and learn more about what human rights are and how they work. In this course, we will introduce you to one of the world’s most intricate human rights systems: the European Convention on Human Rights. You will see when and how people can turn to the European Court of Human Rights to complain about human rights violations. You will learn how the Court tries to solve many of the difficult human rights dilemmas of today. We will look, amongst other things, at the freedom of expression and demonstration, the right to vote, and the prohibition of discrimination. And we will address the rights of migrants, refugees, and other vulnerable groups. And, of course, we will see whether it is possible to restrict rights and if so under what conditions. You will even encounter watchdogs and ice cream in this course. We invite you to follow us on a journey of discovery into the European Convention!
Contemporary Palestinian History
Utrecht University (via Coursera)
This MOOC will discuss contemporary Palestinian history, and will highlight the main and most relevant aspects of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, including how and why the conflict started, how it evolved, the current status-quo, and possible settlements. It will do so in an interdisciplinary way, combining insights from history and postcolonialism, political economy, international relations, state governance, and international law. After attending this MOOC learners will be able to: 1. Explain what the importance of historic Palestine is to the Palestinian people and the wider Arab world. 2. Explain how and why the Palestinian-Israeli conflict started and evolved, including the implications of legal and diplomatic efforts. 3. Describe the current status-quo of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. 4. Describe and interpret the different voices within scholarly and political discussions about possible settlements of the conflict. 5. Reflect critically and develop an informed and nuanced perspective of their own on the conflict. 6. Do all of the above in an interdisciplinary way, combining insights from history and postcolonialism, political economy, international relations, state governance, and international law.
Responsible Conduct of Research
Utrecht University (via Coursera)
As a PhD student in academia, there are difficulties you may encounter in the area of integrity, such as power relations and issues around social safety, authorship, intellectual property, and ensuring academic quality. How can you properly determine the order of authorship? In what way can social safety be improved? How do others deal with integrity issues? We have developed the MOOC "Responsible Conduct of Research" in which we take you through these topics and provide ideas on how to become a responsible researcher, who feels empowered by knowledge of integrity. 6 modules will guide you in 7 hours through important topics, including examples, a lecture, expert views and experiences and the opportunity to investigate your own research practice. A certificate will be provided to participants who completed every part. This course was developed in the H2020 Integrity project by Mariëtte van den Hoven, Miriam van Loon, Hesther van Gulick and Eline Borsboom, and funded by EU H2020.
Professionalism in an era of change
Utrecht University (via Coursera)
In this course we aim to provide you with an insight into how recent societal and technological developments have changed the work of professionals in a variety of professional domains and how this in turn affects professionalism. The course highlights core themes, discusses main insights and theories, raises questions and presents cases, and links insights to practical challenges in various professional domains. It provides a state of the art assessment of professionalism in transition, by looking back and looking forward. It supports target audiences in dealing with professional services and professionals. The programme has an interdisciplinary approach and will focus on different levels: At macro level the course presents a historical and sociological view on past and future changes in professions, focused on: • how do professional fields develop? • how is professionalism promoted and encouraged among professionals? • how do professional fields control and empower their members? At meso level the course presents an organisational view on changes within professional partnerships and institutions, focused on the following questions: • how do norms and routines affect professionals and professional work? • how do professionals organise and lead professional work? At micro level a psychological perspective on changing work and a changing work environment of professionals is presented. This part focuses on the following questions: • how do professionals deal with work pressure and remain motivated? • which competencies do professionals require to be able and capable to deliver? We invite you to join us and increase your understanding of the topics addressed in this course through lectures, interviews, animations, readings and peer interaction.
Understanding child development: from synapse to society
Utrecht University (via Coursera)
In this course, we dive into the topic of child development. You will learn that child development is complex and is influenced by a surprisingly rich number of factors at many different levels of organization. You will see that development can be studied in various domains and at various levels of understanding, from different angles and disciplines. Importantly, you will come to understand that processes within and between the various domains and levels of organization continuously interact to shape development. This implies that understanding development requires taking an interdisciplinary approach. In order to help you organize your thinking about this complexity you will learn more about the developmental systems approach and theories related to that. We will look, amongst other things, at the brain and motor development, cognitive, language and social-emotional development and all the factors that have an influence on development. To illustrate how an interdisciplinary approach helps to understand child development you will see how researchers from various disciplines and backgrounds study child development at Utrecht University. These scientists will give a look in their field of knowledge and their collaboration with colleagues, to illustrate how the theory you will learn translates to practice. In sum, we invite you to follow us on a journey to understand child development from synapse to society!
Inequality and Democracy
Utrecht University (via Coursera)
Most countries are getting more and more unequal. But the core of democracy is political equality: that everyone should have an equal say in how their country is run. Can we really expect these things to go together? Can people have equal political power while economic inequality grows and grows? Take this course and decide for yourself. You’ll learn about: • The rise of economic inequality • Property rights and the corporation • Democracy: Its value and history • Campaign finance and lobbying • Tax avoidance and capital flight • Alternatives to our economic system This is an interdisciplinary course combining: • Politics • Philosophy • Economics • History • Law Our course is for anyone looking for an accessible introduction to these topics. You might a concerned citizen, or someone who works in a field like politics, media, education, government or law. The difficulty level is similar to the first-year of an undergraduate degree. No prior knowledge is assumed.
Understanding justice and fairness in energy transitions
Utrecht University (via Coursera)
Energy transitions are not solely technological or economic shifts; they have profound social impacts that can either reinforce or challenge existing inequalities. The benefits and burdens of energy transitions are often unevenly distributed, with vulnerable communities frequently facing the greatest risks, such as displacement and environmental degradation, while having limited access to the benefits, such as cleaner energy and livelihoods. Studying justice in energy transitions can help reflect on and better understand the nature of these issues while identifying new ones along the way. Different ideas of justice can help us better understand what a fair or just transition might mean. By incorporating different ways of thinking and reasoning about justice, we can better understand and shape the goals of energy transitions. This course provides a foundation and set of methods to connect different aspects of energy transitions to justice. In doing so, you will learn how to analyse energy transitions in reference to certain justice-related outcomes, connect your own life and energy use to justice, and build and support arguments regarding why we might think of certain aspects of transitions as just or unjust.
Unravelling solutions for Future Food problems
Utrecht University (via Coursera)
Our society depends on the availability of food and accessibility to it. According to the United Nations nearly 800 million people are hungry and on the other hand, over 650 million people are obese. While many people in developing countries experience food shortage, in industrialized countries people are throwing food away. These facts show how paradoxical and complex the world’s food problem is. ln this course, more than 10 food researchers from Utrecht University will address the main issues of food consumption. They will handle two interrelated themes; Food shortage and Healthy choices. You will learn to identify the key ingredients of the world’s food challenges and to think about the solutions for enabling changes in the current food system. We will also look at the possible sustainable solutions for several accut issues: the demands of the growing human population, the role of nutrition, and the need to understand food choices in order to have healthier diet and consider the possibilities of alternative foods. We invite you to join us on an interdisciplinary journey through the world food problems. You will gain new knowledge and insights that will help you form your own opinion on these subjects and make better choices in your food consumption. We hope you will enjoy the course! The Future Food Team