Most of the courses at the Faculty of Science are taught in Czech language, however wide a variety of courses in English is avaliable for Erasmus students. Among other courses provided by geography section, selected courses of the Masters Degree Program Social Epidemiology for exchange or Erasmus students are available:
Social inequalities in health – dr. Ivana Kulhánová
The aim of this course is to introduce students in the topic of social inequalities in health. The seminars will cover theoretical framework, social determinants of health or links between various risk factors and health outcomes. Time will also be devoted to methods of measuring health inequalities and to policy implications. International literature will be used in this course.
Cancer epidemiology – dr. Ivana Kulhánová
Cancer is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. The aim of the course is to provide an overview about cancer epidemiology, including some historical remarks, data sources, classifications of cancer, methods of descriptive analysis and trends in cancer incidence, mortality and survival. Attention will also be given to cancer prevention, with a special focus on risk factors and screening programmes. Cancer treatment and palliative care will also be discussed. Finally, socioeconomic inequalities in cancer will briefly be mentioned.
GIS in epidemiology (course expected to open from academic year 2022/2023) – dr. Pavlina Netrdová
Epidemiology seeks to determine associations between exposure risk and disease that are spatially dependent. This course offers an introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and its application in epidemiological research. GIS provides the standard platform for exploring spatial data and is a useful tool to capture, store, analyse, manage, and visualize spatial data. It helps in understanding spatial relationships between our environment and health (The One Health Concept will be considered). The course emphasizes the potential of GIS as an epidemiological analysis tool for describing the magnitude and distribution of health problems and infectious agents, identifying health determinants and sources of infections and supporting health decision-making. Specific topics include epidemiological risk assessment and exploratory analyses of patterns and spread of causative agents of infectious diseases (virus, microorganisms, parasites etc.).
Urban health (course opens from academic year 2019/2020) – dr. Michala Lustigová, dr. Ivana Kulhánová and dr. Pavlína Netrdová
This course will provide students with understanding of urban demographic changes and new demographic situation connected with inequalities in health in European cities with focus on post-socialist cities. The goal of this course is to introduce students various determinants and health-related factors and their interactions, that results in urban health inequities in European cities. Main focus will be on social and behavioural determinants, social inequalities in health, especially cardiovascular and cancer health, and health of migrants. The course objective is threefold: 1) to critically analyse health topics; 2) to measure social inequalities in health; and 3) to examine methods dealing with urban health by reviewing successful case studies. The population health of the cities will be demonstrated by using GIS technologies.
Systematic review and meta-analysis – prof. Hynek Pikhart
The course prepares students to critically evaluate and review papers and distinguish between general review papers, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses. It therefore gives students the ability to critically work with literature and data sources which they can use during studies and in practice. The course is organized as a one-day intensive lecture.
Other recommended courses
Global Population Challenges – dr. Tomáš Sobotka
This course aims to engage the students in learning about selected global population trends and challenges, and discussing their causes and consequences as well as different policy responses. The topics covered will include global and European migration, population ageing, very low fertility in East Asia and parts of Europe, imbalanced sex ratios, and different ways governments and societies are tackling these challenges. The seminar will also examine key population issues in selected large countries and regions, including focused lectures on China, East Asia, India, United States, Russia, and sub-Saharan Africa. The emphasis will be placed on interconnections between population trends, broader socio-economic development, and cultural factors that influence both the broader population trends and societal responses to them. Students are expected to read selected papers in English.
Demography for Foreign Students (non-Demographers) – dr. Tomáš Kučera
The course is outlined as a cross-sectional course of Demography covering all the principal topics and knowledge relevant to basic understanding the process of demographic reproduction and developments of population systems, their foundations, courses and consequences. Special attention is paid to development of analytical skills and understanding population forecasts and projections. The participants will be also provided with information necessary for orientation in the discipline of Demography per se and its development. Passing the course is a precondition for deeper studies of the discipline and its specific issues.
The aim of this course is to introduce students in the topic of social inequalities in health. The seminars will cover theoretical framework, social determinants of health or links between various risk factors and health outcomes. Time will also be devoted to methods of measuring health inequalities and to policy implications. International literature will be used in this course.
Cancer epidemiology – dr. Ivana Kulhánová
Cancer is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. The aim of the course is to provide an overview about cancer epidemiology, including some historical remarks, data sources, classifications of cancer, methods of descriptive analysis and trends in cancer incidence, mortality and survival. Attention will also be given to cancer prevention, with a special focus on risk factors and screening programmes. Cancer treatment and palliative care will also be discussed. Finally, socioeconomic inequalities in cancer will briefly be mentioned.
GIS in epidemiology (course expected to open from academic year 2022/2023) – dr. Pavlina Netrdová
Epidemiology seeks to determine associations between exposure risk and disease that are spatially dependent. This course offers an introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and its application in epidemiological research. GIS provides the standard platform for exploring spatial data and is a useful tool to capture, store, analyse, manage, and visualize spatial data. It helps in understanding spatial relationships between our environment and health (The One Health Concept will be considered). The course emphasizes the potential of GIS as an epidemiological analysis tool for describing the magnitude and distribution of health problems and infectious agents, identifying health determinants and sources of infections and supporting health decision-making. Specific topics include epidemiological risk assessment and exploratory analyses of patterns and spread of causative agents of infectious diseases (virus, microorganisms, parasites etc.).
Urban health (course opens from academic year 2019/2020) – dr. Michala Lustigová, dr. Ivana Kulhánová and dr. Pavlína Netrdová
This course will provide students with understanding of urban demographic changes and new demographic situation connected with inequalities in health in European cities with focus on post-socialist cities. The goal of this course is to introduce students various determinants and health-related factors and their interactions, that results in urban health inequities in European cities. Main focus will be on social and behavioural determinants, social inequalities in health, especially cardiovascular and cancer health, and health of migrants. The course objective is threefold: 1) to critically analyse health topics; 2) to measure social inequalities in health; and 3) to examine methods dealing with urban health by reviewing successful case studies. The population health of the cities will be demonstrated by using GIS technologies.
Systematic review and meta-analysis – prof. Hynek Pikhart
The course prepares students to critically evaluate and review papers and distinguish between general review papers, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses. It therefore gives students the ability to critically work with literature and data sources which they can use during studies and in practice. The course is organized as a one-day intensive lecture.
Other recommended courses
Global Population Challenges – dr. Tomáš Sobotka
This course aims to engage the students in learning about selected global population trends and challenges, and discussing their causes and consequences as well as different policy responses. The topics covered will include global and European migration, population ageing, very low fertility in East Asia and parts of Europe, imbalanced sex ratios, and different ways governments and societies are tackling these challenges. The seminar will also examine key population issues in selected large countries and regions, including focused lectures on China, East Asia, India, United States, Russia, and sub-Saharan Africa. The emphasis will be placed on interconnections between population trends, broader socio-economic development, and cultural factors that influence both the broader population trends and societal responses to them. Students are expected to read selected papers in English.
Demography for Foreign Students (non-Demographers) – dr. Tomáš Kučera
The course is outlined as a cross-sectional course of Demography covering all the principal topics and knowledge relevant to basic understanding the process of demographic reproduction and developments of population systems, their foundations, courses and consequences. Special attention is paid to development of analytical skills and understanding population forecasts and projections. The participants will be also provided with information necessary for orientation in the discipline of Demography per se and its development. Passing the course is a precondition for deeper studies of the discipline and its specific issues.