Health is looking for talented students for the faculty's revised honours programme, which strengthens the students' academic competences and helps their career opportunities. Do you know anyone who may be interested? Then give them a nudge and tell them about the honours programme.

2021.08.12 | Eva Kristina Hindby Koszyczarek

 

Since 2017, Health has offered two honours programmes aimed at talented and ambitious students who wish to supplement their education with additional knowledge and competences which can prepare them to solve complex healthcare issues in an increasingly complex healthcare system.

Last year, the two programmes were merged into a single honours programme with two tracks: research and innovation. This year, the format is being further refined, so that Health now offers a single honours programme covering both research and innovation under the name 'The Research and Innovation Honours Programme'.

"With the new programme, we bring the two tracks together as the goal is to sharpen academic core competences, so that regardless of career direction, the students have the prerequisites for thinking innovatively and successfully completing projects," says Jasper Nijkamp, who has been appointed programme director for the faculty's honours programme.

He also explains that regardless of whether you are working on research or innovation projects, you must be able to 1) understand the problem you are pointing to, 2) find the right method to solve the problem, and 3) know the value of the solution you are working to find. So there is thus good synergy in having a single programme for the most talented students.

"We believe that the course gives the students a unique profile which can kick-start their careers and give them the right mindset to be successful," he says.

About the honours programme

We have asked Programme Director Jasper Nijkamp some relevant questions about the new honours programme, so that you as a lecturer know what the students can expect, and which students to consider.

What can the students expect to be taught?

"During the programme, we’ll lead the students through a wide range of workshops, such as project management, innovative research and professional communication. We facilitate their personal development with peer feedback and career development sessions as well as our new mentor programme. We focus on cross-disciplinary collaboration and workshops with group assignments, where we mix students with different candidate backgrounds. In this way, they learn to collaborate with different types of colleagues in a versatile and interdisciplinary work environment."

What demands do the students face?

"The programme consists of 30 ECTS credits distributed over four semesters in addition to the normal teaching. This means that workshops will take place after 16:00 and occasionally on Saturdays. We also expect to the students to attend summer school between the second and third semester.

They are responsible for finding and organising their research- or innovation project, so they need to be prepared to reach out, be proactive and structure their everyday lives to take care of all of the activities concurrently with their Master’s degree programme."

How do the students benefit from the programme?

"They get a unique profile that emphasises their great talent. This alone gives them an advantage in the labour market. They will also build a strong network that can promote their careers. The interdisciplinary work provides them with relevant experience that can build bridges between one-track student life and the interdisciplinary career that awaits them after graduating. In addition, the personal development they undergo will help them to learn more about themselves, so they can find the right career path."

Which students should the lecturers be on the lookout for?

"Talented and ambitious students who show initiative and responsibility, and who have the courage to learn more. Enthusiasm and a good work ethic are usually a good starting point for undertaking the talent programme. We aim to promote critical thinking, to ask the right questions, to listen and to act professionally, so these qualities should preferably already be present."

There will be an information meeting for interested students on 14 September.

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About the information meeting:

• Time: 14 September between 16:00 - 17:00
• Location: The Victor Albeck Building, The Blue Auditorium (1266-222)
• Programme: Presentation of the honours programme and time for questions
• Registration for the information meeting is not necessary. Students can just turn up

Facts about the honours programme:

• The honours programme is a two-year programme for Master’s degree students on Health's degree programmes
• It is extracurricular and the programme is therefore followed simultaneously with normal studies
• Students receive 30 ECTS credits in order to complete the programme and a graduation with distinction on their exam certificate
• The talent programme begins in mid-October

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You can register for the honours programme here

 

Read more: 

Two honours programmes become one – with two tracks and shared activities

Health's honours programme gets a new programme director

 

Contact:
Associate Professor and Programme Director Jasper Nijkamp
Aarhus University, Department of Clinical Medicine
Mobile: (+45) 7194 9229
Email: jaspernijkamp@clin.au.dk