Admission requirements
This course is open for students of the MSc Governance of Sustainability, MSc Industrial Ecology and MSc Biodiversity and Sustainability
Description
It took humanity two million years to create a population of one billion people. The next billion people took 120 years and the next billion only 35 years. Not surprisingly, this population explosion has had a huge impact on the environment and the ecology of the landscape. A hot topic for national and local governments is the promotion of a healthy living environment for people, defined as safe and attractive, inviting to interact, promoting healthy behavior and pleasant to live in. In other words: a healthy landscape.
In this elective course, we introduce the concept of the so-called ‘pathogenic landscapes’ and focus on the interactions between land, people, pathogens, vectors, and their animal hosts. With many people in one place, pathogens can easily and permanently circulate, and quickly jump between livestock, wildlife and people. In addition, vectors and pests, such as mosquitoes and rodents, can simply establish in the environments that people create.
In this elective course we discuss the theme of a healthy living environment and the choices that we need to make in spatial planning to achieve the best balance between the societal demands in housing, climate adaptation, biodiversity and the well-being of the residents. Using a specific aspect, namely vector-borne diseases (such as Lyme disease, malaria, dengue), we guide you along the pitfalls of this complex, yet highly insightful problem. We will use insights from tropical countries to show that there is nothing simple about combating vector borne diseases.
Furthermore, we explore different theoretical perspectives to understand and address complex socio-ecological problems using through decision-making tools and governance strategies.
Course objectives
After this course students will be able to:
Understand how humans (often unwillingly) promote disease vectors in their own environment
Distinguish between complex and complicated issues
Understand and apply the concepts of planetary health
Report comprehensively, convincingly and critically (Reflecting)
Learn the power of the narrative (Oral communication)
Demonstrate skills working collaboratively with peers and planning (Project based working).
Timetable
In MyTimetable, you can find all course and programme schedules, allowing you to create your personal timetable. Activities for which you have enrolled via MyStudyMap will automatically appear in your timetable.
Additionally, you can easily link MyTimetable to a calendar app on your phone, and schedule changes will be automatically updated in your calendar. You can also choose to receive email notifications about schedule changes. You can enable notifications in Settings after logging in.
Questions? Watch the video, read the instructions, or contact the ISSC helpdesk.
Note: Joint Degree students from Leiden/Delft need to combine information from both the Leiden and Delft MyTimetables to see a complete schedule. This video explains how to do it.
Mode of instruction
By lectures on the background of the ecology of vector borne disease and public health, invited lectures by a range of specialists in the field, feedback sessions, workshops, excursions, discussion and self-study. The lectures and the presentations at the end of the course are compulsory to attend. It will not be possible to follow the lectures online.
Assessment method
Policy brief on the disease ecology of an (emerging) vector borne disease of choice, and the societal handling perspective (50%)
Individual peer review of a duo paper (15%)
Group work on video or podcast + presentation (35%).
Differences in individual contribution within groupwork can lead to differentiation of grades within the group. The weighted average of the grades for the group-based assignments needs to be 5.5 or higher to pass the course. The grade for the individual assignment also needs to be 5.5 or higher to pass the course. It is not possible to compensate between individual and, duo-based assignment and group-based assignments.
Retake policy
In case the grade for the individual assignment is lower than 5.5 there will be an opportunity to retake the assignment. Please see MyTimetable and Brightspace page for more information.
In case of an insufficient grade for the group assignment, then the group is given maximum 5 weeks to submit an additional assignment related to the project and reach therefore a sufficient grade. The maximum final overall grade that can be scored by the group (including the resit) assignment is then a 5.5. The assignment is established by the course coordinator(s). Please see MyTimetable and Brightspace for more information.
Reading list
Literature for this course will primarily exist of scientific peer-reviewed papers from mono-disciplinary and transdisciplinary scientific journals, supplemented with book chapters, occasional policy document, video and podcasts.
Registration
As a student, you are responsible for enrolling on time through MyStudyMap.
In this short video, you can see step-by-step how to enrol for courses in MyStudyMap.
Extensive information about the operation of MyStudyMap can be found here.
There are two enrolment periods per year:
Enrolment for the fall opens in July
Enrolment for the spring opens in December
See this page for more information about deadlines and enrolling for courses and exams.
Note:
It is mandatory to enrol for all activities of a course that you are going to follow.
Your enrolment is only complete when you submit your course planning in the ‘Ready for enrolment’ tab by clicking ‘Send’.
Not being enrolled for an exam/resit means that you are not allowed to participate in the exam/resit.
Contact
Coordinators: Dr. Marieta Braks and dr. Maarten Schrama
Remarks
Software
Starting from the 2024/2025 academic year, the Faculty of Science will use the software distribution platform Academic Software. Through this platform, you can access the software needed for specific courses in your studies. For some software, your laptop must meet certain system requirements, which will be specified with the software. It is important to install the software before the start of the course. More information about the laptop requirements can be found on the student website.