| Responsible Department | Department of Human Nutrition
40 % University of Hong Kong, China 30 % Sun Yat Sen University, Guangzhou, China 10 % Anna University, India 20 % | ||||||||||||||
| Research School | The course is organized by Department of Human Nutrition, Exercise and Sports (former Dept. Human Nutrition). | ||||||||||||||
| External Assisting Partner | The course contains of lectures and field studies in Denmark (Copenhagen) combined with lectures and field studies in Southern China (Hong Kong, Shenszen, Guangzhou). University of Hong Kong, China Sun Yat Sen University, Guangzhou, China Anna University, India | ||||||||||||||
| Course Dates | Between 7 and 27 January 2014. Exact dates in January not set yet. | ||||||||||||||
| Course Abstract | What determines what we eat? Nat. science, culture, philosophy or religion? Is the human body more than a chemical machine? Widely diff. diet and health traditions come closer in a globalized world but understanding other traditions is difficult. Food/health topics relate to nat. science as well as to culture/philosophy/religion. Food/medicine differ between East/West, in mixtures of natural/social/human sciences. This course helps understand the scientific interactions, contrasts and synergies. | ||||||||||||||
| Course Home Page | http://www.courseinfo.life.ku.dk/Kurser/phd_fmp.as... | ||||||||||||||
| Course Registration | Marianne Støckel by email to mas@life.ku.dk, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, The Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 30, DK-1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark, phone: +45 3533 2191, fax: +45 3532 2483. | ||||||||||||||
| Deadline for Registration | 1 November 2013. | ||||||||||||||
| Credits | 6 (ECTS) | ||||||||||||||
| Level of Course | PhD course | ||||||||||||||
| Organisation of Teaching | The course consists of a series of lectures in combination with field studies to food markets, hospitals, universities and cultural/religious sites. Each participant makes an investigation into a selected topic related to his/her own field of research. | ||||||||||||||
| Language of Instruction | English | ||||||||||||||
| Restrictions | 30 | ||||||||||||||
| Course Content | |||||||||||||||
| Diet and health traditions have become globalized. Regardless, diet and health views differ widely in the world and are not determined alone by food availability, health care and technology. Cultural and philosophical views of nature and the human body continue to be important. What determines what we eat and how we stay healthy and fit? Natural science, culture, philosophy or religion? Is food just fuel for the body machine, or is food similar to medicine? What is a functional food? Is fitness biochemistry and/or aesthetic experience? Can academic food and health science talk with business, culture and religion? Cross-disciplinary communication is required among widely different science fields. This broadening PhD course aims to give PhD students an improved understanding of the scientific, cultural and philosophical background for specific diet habits and body health views. We couple field work at several different universities, hospitals, food markets and cultural/religious sites with insights into the basic characteristics of natural, social and human sciences (the 3 main academic domains). Specifically, we will contrast some traditions of the Western world with those in the East (particularly China). This makes us aware of both the potentials and the limitations of Western scientific principles and their role in diet and health globalization. The course is highly inter-disciplinary and contains topics from very different disciplines (food science, nutrition, medicine, pharmacology, business, sociology, philosophy, religion). All course participants are expected to contribute to a fruitful cross-talk among the different fields. Each student picks a focus area that supports his/hers own specific PhD program or general learning. | |||||||||||||||
| Teaching and learning Methods | |||||||||||||||
| The course consists of two parts at two locations: 1) Lectures and report work at Faculty of Sciences (SCIENCE), University of Copenhagen and 2) lectures and field studies in EITHER Hong Kong/Guangzhou, China OR Chennai, India. A series of preparatory lectures are combined with an independent investigation into a chosen topic, ideally related to the students own PhD program. By the end of the course, each student prepares a written report (4-5 pages, 1,5 line spacing, 12 pt.) that is presented for the entire group of students (Powerpoint, 15 min incl. discussion) and examined by the course coordinators. Foreign participants do not need to be present at the final examination but can hand in electronically the report and presentation for evaluation. | |||||||||||||||
| Learning Outcome | |||||||||||||||
| The PhD student will get new insight into widely different diet and health traditions, and their related research fields, in East and West. The course supports the trend towards increasing international and cross-disciplinary research in the food and health field. By exposing the PhD student to food/health science from widely different scientific/cultural/religious perspectives, the course will help the student to know the potentials and limitations of his/hers own research. | |||||||||||||||
| Course Material | |||||||||||||||
| Reading material will be available from the course website during the course. Material from previous courses will be made available for the students. | |||||||||||||||
| Course Coordinator | |||||||||||||||
| Per Torp Sangild, psa@life.ku.dk, Department of Human Nutrition/Clinical Nutrition, Phone: 353-32698 | |||||||||||||||
| Other Lecturers | |||||||||||||||
| More than 15 guest lecturers (mostly full professors from different universities in Denmark, China and India) support the course by presenting topics from different science fields. Ask for the course program to see specifics. | |||||||||||||||
| Course Fee | |||||||||||||||
| 2,800 DKK for students not part of the European open market for PhD courses. No direct course fee (lectures and materials) for other students (except travel and accommodation fee, see below) | |||||||||||||||
| Course Costs | |||||||||||||||
| Separate expenses for the field work in China or India are to be covered by each student. These are approximately 18,000 DKK (flight, accommodation, food, local travel, guide costs). All participants have to cover costs of accommodation in Copenhagen by themselves. The course secretariat will assist in applying for support if required. For these students there are some limited funds available at the course secretariat (max. 5,000 DKK per student). | |||||||||||||||
| Type of Evaluation | |||||||||||||||
| Written report on a self-chosen topic coupled with an oral presentation and examination at the end of the course. Foreign participants do not need to be present at the examination at the end of the course, but can hand in electronically the report and a presentation for evaluation. | |||||||||||||||
| Work Load | |||||||||||||||
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