Convergence education
The major challenges in healthcare call not only for transdisciplinary research, but also for transdisciplinary education. In the Health & Technology program, we are actively working towards establishing transdisciplinary research initiatives.
Crossover education
What kind of education will Convergence offer students? “We want to qualify students as doctors and scientists who are not cowed by large, complex problems and who have the expertise to tackle these problems.” Says Prof. Maarten Frens, pro-dean of Erasmus Medical Center. “We will train them to be doctors who are not only able to cure patients’ symptoms but who also understand the social problems that affect them, and what technological options there are – and who also know what the economic and ecological consequences of their approach are.”
Maarten Frens will help shape the educational programme for Convergence. Read about his perspective on transdisciplinary education in this interview, as well as the plans and challenges lying ahead.
Research master Sustainable Health
Health & Technology is introducing the transdisciplinary Research Master Sustainable Health. This research master aims to educate a diverse group of innovative thinking doers who can bring new insights to topics related to sustainable health, as achieving circular healthcare institutions (sustainable care), shaping a prevention-driven approach (sustainable public health), and realizing efficient care (sustainable employability of staff and resources).
For which educational gap do we design a new program? How does are graduate look like and what will the graduate do to change the healthcare sector towards a more sustainable one? How do we, as three institutions within Convergence, intend to collaborate? What does this look like as we endeavor to jointly establish a two-year master’s program? We are currently hosting several sessions to broaden perspectives and gaining insight.
A Convergence skillset
The Nanobiology programme, one of the first interdisciplinary degree programmes by Erasmus MC and TU Delft, has developed a new transdisciplinary minor called Collaborative Science for Biomedical Breakthroughs.
The minor teaches students the skills they need to succeed in collaborative research while they do a research project about current biomedical challenges. The minor is designed to impart a comprehensive understanding of research. It includes essential questions like “Why do scientists write grants?”, “Who are the stakeholders in your research?“, “How do you share your findings?” and much more.