Honours Faculty courses

Faculty Courses (6 ECTS)

• A_HP004 Nutrition for healthy growth and development

  Prof. dr. J.C. Seidell 

  Dates
  Wednesday, September-december, every year

  Time
  17.30-19.30 hrs

  Lecture hall
  Tbd

  Application deadline
  September

  Brief description
  Projects on the interface of (bio)medical science and policy.

  Link to study guide: Nutrition for healthy growth and development in the city | Studiegids (vu.nl)

• A_HP006 Climate Repair

  Lecturer
  Ivar Maas, prof. dr. G.R. van der Werf

  Dates
  Period 4, February and March 2023

  Time
  Tbd

  Lecture hall
  Tbd

  Application deadline
  End of January

  Brief description
  The main goal of this course is to develop the students on climate leadership qualities and competencies, based on the latest scientific knowledge on various relevant disciplines including climate science.

  Link to study guide: Climate Repair | Study Guide (vu.nl)

• A_HP003 Five O’Clock Neurosciences

  Lecturer
  Prof.dr. H.Mansvelder, Dr. N. Goriounova

  Dates
  Wednesdays, March-May, every uneven year

  Time
  17.00-19.00 hrs

  Lecture hall
  Tbd

  Application deadline
  January before the course starts

  Brief description
  What is consciousness? How can we learn and memorize something? Do we have free will? Who is the boss in my brain? Theories on answers to these questions are the topic of this course. By reading and discussing books of prominent neuroscientists and scientific articles students will learn about the latest views on how our brain works. The course will discuss different levels of organization from neurons to human behavior, and in addition to biomedical aspects, elements from psychology, psychiatry,  medical and societal perspectives will be discussed.

  Link to study guide: Five O’Clock Neurosciences (Honours) | Study Guide (vu.nl)

• A_HP005 Diversity in Genetic Research

  S. Palacin i Bonson

  Dates

  Tuesdays and Thursdays, starting date: Sept 12^th

  Time

  18.30-21.00 hrs

  Application deadline

  September

   

  Brief Description
  In this course, we will put diversity in focus. You will learn how to illuminate the impacts diversity has on multiple scientific fields, starting from human psychology, medicine, and biosciences and later moving into genetic research, ending in your own field of interest. The main diversity theme will concern ethnicity, but the emphasis will also be had on cultural, social, and gender differences. By the end of this course, you will be aware of the lack of diversity in sciences, the reasons for this lack, and the impacts it has on scientific yield and ethical considerations.

  Link to studyguide: 

• A_HP007 Science-based entrepreneurship

  Lecturer
  dr. M.L. Blankesteijn

  Dates
  Period 5, April and May 2023

  Time
  Tbd

  Lecture hall
  Tbd

  Application deadline
  End of March

  Brief description
  To be a successful science and tech entrepreneur, one needs sound disciplinary knowledge of a practical scientific domain, combined with knowledge of and hands-on experience with innovation processes and entrepreneurship. In science-based entrepreneurship both natural and social scientific principles are combined in a process of entrepreneurial engagement to support valorization of ideas.

  Link to study guide: Project Science and Tech-based Entrepreneurship | Study Guide (vu.nl)

• X_HP015 Impact of Algorithms on Human Lives

  Dr. Aniel Bhulai

  Dates

  Period 5, April and May 2023

  Time

  Tbd

  Application deadline

  End of March

  Brief Description
  Today we live in an algorithmic society; algorithms are all around us. Throughout the day, we use different technologies and algorithms through the many devices that have become essential  in our lives, such as computers, smartphones, and smartwatches. Many of them make our lives a  lot easier. But are they all good for us?  In this course, you will get an explanation in layman's terms, without programming and complex  mathematical formulas how these technologies work and how they affect our lives. We will discuss the basic concepts so that by understanding the basics, we can demystify these technologies and understand how they impact our daily life. This will allow us to conduct a well-informed and expert debate about under what circumstances these influences are positive and when negative. Understanding these basic concepts, for example, will also help us to better judge a news story about one of these technologies, whether it is right or wrong, and what benefits or potential problems these technologies bring.

  Link to study guide