Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

SS28 Innovative Approaches for Linking Science and Society Through Education (Science and Society Connections)

Date: Friday, February 16, 2001, Time: 10:00:00 AM

Location: La Cienega

Geernaert, G, L, National Environmental Research Institute, Roskilde, Denmark, glg@dmu.dk

Nielsen, O, J, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark, ojn@kiku.dk

Institutionalizing science policy in graduate school curricula: the process and lessons learned at the University of Copenhagen and its affiliate institutes

During the past decade, the principles used for setting national research agendas abruptly changed, in order to respond to a new suite of political priorities. Global and climate change, sustainable development, public health, information technology are among those which rose in prominence, eventually overtaking national security as the dominant driver. In addition, universities expanded partnerships with government laboratories and industries, and science sponsors extended their influence over curriculum development. Until only a few years ago, the University of Copenhagen was typical among European universities who teach aquatic, atmospheric and global change sciences. Science policy, ethics, societal responsibility, and the structure, business, and management of science were missing from the curricula. Responding to pressures facing PhD graduates, and in order to address the curriculum’s deficiencies, the University of Copenhagen under its new COGCI (Copenhagen Global Change Initiative) established a course on the science and policy of global change. The course is required of all PhD students in COGCI. In this presentation, the process of course design, topics included, lessons learned, and ongoing debates will be reviewed.

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Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

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