Photo: Colourbox

Learn how One Health promotes a healthier world

Bacteria and microorganisms Food, fish and agriculture Food safety Livestock diseases

Students from around the world will gather in Denmark this summer to learn how the One Health concept can be used to solve problems of relevance to the health and wellbeing of people, animals and the environment. Experts from the Technical University of Denmark and University of Copenhagen are lecturers at the summer course and international guest speakers will give a global perspective on the subject.

The world is facing major global challenges that have an impact on the health of people, animals and the environment: exponential population growth, changed eating habits, climate change, increasing use of natural resources for food, etc.

It has become evident that the health and wellbeing of people, animals and our shared environment are inextricably linked and cannot be assured in the long run unless we treat them as a whole. It is not possible for a single research discipline or organization to tackle the challenges facing the world.

Therefore, the One Health concept seeks to prevent and combat infectious diseases and diseases caused by chemical contamination through the promotion and improvement of interdisciplinary collaboration and communication in all aspect of health care for humans, animals and the environment.

One Health summer course in Copenhagen

The International One Health Summer Course is being offered for a third time in Copenhagen. The course focuses on the disease risks and the challenges caused by the complex interactions between animals, food, people and the environment.

It draws on different sciences and promotes coordination, communication and data sharing between the parties involved by providing solutions to challenges such as food safety and security, zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial resistance. Zoonotic diseases are diseases that can transfer from animals and food to humans fx via foods or through direct contact between animals and humans, but also through our shared environment.

Experts from the Technical University of Denmark and University of Copenhagen are lecturers at the summer course and international guest speakers will give a global perspective on the subject.

Danish tradition of applying the One Health concept

Denmark has a long tradition of applying the One Health concept and is among the leading countries in finding solutions to some of these interdisciplinary challenges. Examples are the prevention and control of salmonella and antimicrobial resistant bacteria in livestock production. During the summer course, students will learn about One Health methodologies, the Danish experience and gain a global perspective on the topic with input from international organizations such as the World Health Organization, WHO.

Programme content

The One Health Summer Course is offered jointly by the Technical University of Denmark and University of Copenhagen.

The course is a good opportunity for further education for fx physicians and veterinarians and other health and environmental professionals. It is relevant for Masters and PhD students from a number of disciplines such as human and veterinarian medicine, environmental science, food science, resource economics, sociology and anthropology. A broad range of approaches makes discussions more nuanced and educational, and the course has received good feedback from previous students. 

The course consists of a five-week e-learning module (from 9 May to 10 June 2016) and a one-week on-campus full-time module (from 17 to 23 August 2016). During the module in August the focus will be on problem-based teaching in groups mixed with inspiring lectures.

Five ECTS points will be awarded for completing the One Health Summer Course programme.

The course will be taught in English.

Deadline for registrations

You can register for the summer course by filling in a registration form from the University of Copenhagen’s website before 1 April 2016.

Read more

Find more information about the summer university including tuition and course locations: One Health. If you have further questions, you can email onehealth@foodsciencecopenhagen.dk.