Responding to the need of postgraduate education for Planetary Health : Development of an online Master's Degree
O'Callaghan-Gordo, Cristina (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya)
Moreno, Ariadna (Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal))
Bosque Prous, Marina (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya)
Castro-Sanchez, Enrique (University of West London. College of Nursing, Midwifery and Healthcare)
Dadvand, Payam (Universitat Pompeu Fabra)
Guzmán, Carlos A.Faerron (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya)
García-Juanatey, Ana (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya)
Gascon, Mireia (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública)
Grau Fernández, Oriol (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Jordana, Jacint (Universitat Pompeu Fabra)
Lowe, Rachel (Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats)
March, Hug (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya)
Medina, F. Xavier (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya)
Mélon, Lela (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya)
Navas Obando, Grettel (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
Núñez Casal, Andrea (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya)
Ruiz Mallén, Isabel (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya)
Sánchez-Valdivia, Nacho (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya)
Tonne, Cathryn (Universitat Pompeu Fabra)
Triguero-Mas, Margarita (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya)
Zografos, Christos (Universitat Pompeu Fabra)
Antó i Boqué, Josep Maria (Universitat Pompeu Fabra)

Date:	2022
Abstract:	Planetary Health has emerged as a new approach to respond to the existential risks that the clime and global environmental crises pose to human societies. As stated by various stakeholders, the challenges involved in Planetary Health are of such magnitude that education must be at the forefront to obtain a meaningful response. Universities and higher education institutions have been specifically called to embed the concept of planetary stewardship in all curricula and train the next generation of researchers and change makers as a matter of urgency. As a response to this call, the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), the Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), and the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) developed the first online and asynchronous Master in Science (MSc) in Planetary Health. The aim of the programme is to train a new generation of academics and professionals who understand the challenges of Planetary Health and have tools to tackle them. This article describes the development of the curriculum of this MSc, presents the main characteristics of the programme and discusses some of the challenges encountered in the development of the programme and its implementation. The design of this MSc was based on: the alignment of the programme with the principles for Planetary Health education with a focus on human health; a multi-, inter-, and trans-disciplinary approach; the urgency to respond to the Anthropocene challenges; and the commitment to the 2030 Agenda. The MSc was recognized as an official degree by the Agency for Quality of the Catalan University System, included in the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education, and the Spanish National Academic Coordination body in April 2021 and launched in October 2021. There are currently more than 50 students enrolled in the program coming from a broad range of disciplines and geographic locations. The information presented in this article and the discussion on challenges encountered in developing and implementing the programme can be useful for those working in the development of similar programs.
Grants:	Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación CEX2018-000806-S
Note:	Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-M
Note:	Altres ajuts: CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Curriculum development ; Education for sustainable development (EfSD) ; Master in Science ; Planetary health education ; Postgraduate education ; Sustainable development goals -SDG
Published in:	Frontiers in Public Health, Vol. 10 (October 2022) , art. 969065, ISSN 2296-2565

DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.969065
PMID: 36388308

11 p, 674.5 KB

The record appears in these collections:
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > CREAF (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles