Admission requirements
No required courses, but students should have:
an interest in AI
a drive to contribute to understanding of AI, health, and society
a desire to be a change-agent in the area of Human-AI interaction
Description
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming our society at a rapid pace. While it is true that AI has experienced several historical rounds of major hype and subsequent disappointment, it can hardly be overstated how modern technologies have revolutionized various sectors, including global health and public health. AI has the potential to enhance health systems worldwide through data collection, automation, and personalized interventions.
A new wave of AI systems is on the verge of manifesting even more drastic changes in global health. The launch of advanced AI models, such as ChatGPT in late 2022, has set in motion an arms race between big tech companies with substantial resources to invest. These companies market their inventions as the most powerful technology humanity has ever created, but more and more public health professionals and academics are acknowledging the realistic and potentially impactful dangers, calling for action in AI safety and ethics.
This course recognizes the vital importance of global health perspectives on these matters. It tackles the developments in two ways:
Understanding: We provide an introductory overview of the field of AI for global health students. In a series of lectures, you will gain an understanding of what AI is and how it is influencing global health. You will learn how AI is connected to many public health topics that you may already be familiar with.
Creating: In addition, this course has a substantial hands-on component. In teams, you will initiate and develop an AI-assisted application, preferably one that can assist global health professionals or public health professionals in improving societal challenges related to health and processes. You will gain experience working with generative AI tools and learn how to use them to create applications that are immediately useful. Assessment will be done through this practical component.
No pre-existing technical skills are required to follow the course. Experience with programming may come in handy, but is not essential.
Course Objectives
Learn about what Artificial Intelligence is and in what major ways it is influencing global health: Students will gain an understanding of AI technologies and their transformative impact on global health systems, public health initiatives, and health outcomes worldwide.
Learn to see the vital importance of the social sciences to research in AI for global health: Students will explore the intersection of AI and social sciences, understanding how social science perspectives are crucial for addressing ethical, societal, and cultural implications of AI in global health.
Learn to work with generative AI to create useful applications for global health: Students will develop practical skills in using generative AI tools to create applications that can assist public health professionals, improve health interventions, and address global health challenges.
Timetable
Timetables for courses offered at Leiden University College in 2025-2026 will be published on this page of the e-Prospectus.
Mode of instruction
Seminars, Seminar preparation, practical labs and a presentation session of two hours each, work on project/presentation/report outside of labs.
Note: These hours will consist of self-study, development of AI applications, testing of these applications, preparation for presentations, and writing your report. The workload is expected to be higher towards the end of the course.
Assessment Method
Individual Assignment (20%)
Case study presentation/participation (20%)
Group project –presentation and report (40%)
Reading list
TBA
Registration
Courses offered at Leiden University College (LUC) are usually only open to LUC students and LUC exchange students. Leiden University students who participate in one of the university’s Honours tracks or programmes may register for one LUC course, if availability permits. Registration is coordinated by the Education Coordinator, course.administration@luc.leidenuniv.nl.
Contact
Dr. Minjung Cho, m.j.cho@luc.leidenuniv.nl
Remarks
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