A two-week Master course on the "Philosophy of Systems Biology"

(VU Amsterdam,  June 6-17, 2005)

 

This course will take place during two weeks (June 6-17, 2005) after the symposium. This intensive Master course (3 ECTS) can be taken by students with a University Bachelor degree (or an equivalent degree). The course starts out with a series of lectures that will be given at the Free University on Monday and Tuesday, June 6-7, 2005. Some of the lectures will be given by speakers of the preceding symposium that will held at the Free University on Thursday and Friday June 2-3, 2005 (attendance to the symposium is optional). All lectures will be in English. The two-day teaching lectures are also open to non course-members. The course starts at 9.15 in room F123  in "het Wiskunde en Natuurkunde gebouw' at the VU on Monday June 6, 2005. Details on the the Master course, including the two-day teaching lectures series, will follow as soon as possible and will be accessible through this website (http://www.systembiology.net/philosophy/; click on the Course-button and go to the Additional information-box).

 

Additional information:

 

Since this new course for Master students will be given for the first time, some aspects of the course will be somewhat different from the description written one year ago for the 'FALW Mastergids 2004/2005 voor Levenswetenschappen'. We hope you will have some consideration for us with respect to the changes we had to make.

 

name

Philosophy of Systems Biology

code

470121

coordinator

Dr Fred C. Boogerd (fred.boogerd@falw.vu.nl)

lecturers

Prof. Dr William Bechtel, Prof. Dr William Wimsatt, Prof. Dr Jan-Hendrik Hofmeyr, Prof. Dr Achim Stephan, Prof. Dr Robert Richardson,  Prof. Dr  Hans Westerhoff, Dr Henk de Regt, Dr Arno Wouters,

Dr Frank Bruggeman, Dr Fred Boogerd.

ECTS

3

time period

June 6 - June 17, 2005

aim

An intensive course to acquaint students with the philosophical background of Systems Biology.

contents

During the first 2 days a lectures series will address the Philosophy of Systems Biology. In the rest of the first week, the reader will be studied and an outline for the essay will be made. In the second week, after selfstudy, an individual essay will be written on a topic related to the themes of the lectures. The course ends with an oral presentation to all course participants (see the Table below for a time schedule).

form of tuition

Lectures, selfstudy, essay, oral presentation

literature

Reader (<10 euro), selected articles

mode of assessment

The grading is based on the reader test, the essay, the oral presentation, and on active participation during the lectures.

target group

Students with Bachelor Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology, Medical Biology with a strong interest in the interface between these disciplines.

remarks

required knowledge

The course is taught in the English language.

Bachelor Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology, Medical Biology or an equivalent degree.

 

If you would like to attend the course, please send me an E-mail (fred.boogerd@falw.vu.nl) not later than June 1, 2005, in which you specify (i-v):


(i)       your first name and last name

(ii)      your student number

(iii)    your Bachelor degree

(iv)    your University

(v)      your E-mail address



General scheme for the two-week course 'Philosophy of Systems Biology'

(June 6-17, 2005; 3 ECTS)

 

Date

Activity

Time

Location

 

 

 

 

Mon,     June 6

Attending the teaching lectures

9:00 - 17:00

F123

Tue,      June 7

Attending the teaching lectures

9:00 - 17:00

F123

Wed,    June 8

Choosing an essay topic  (via mail)

9:00 - 12:30

 

Reading the reader

9:00 - 17:00

 

Thu,     June 9

Reading the reader

Preparing an outline for the essay 

9:00 - 17:00

 

Fri,      June 10

Reading the reader

Preparing an outline for the essay

9:00-12:30

 

Making the Reader test

13:30 - 14:30

M212

Discussing the outline for the essay

15:00 - 17:00

M212

 

 

 

 

Mon,    June 13

Reading articles for essay/writing essay

9:00 - 17:00

 

Tue,     June 14

Reading articles for essay/writing essay

9:00 - 12:30

 

Discussing essay progress

13:30 - 17:00

G226e or M214

Wed,   June 15

Reading articles for essay/writing essay

9:00 - 17:00

 

Thu,    June 16

Writing essay/preparing oral presentation

9:00 - 17:00

 

Fri,      June 17

Preparing oral presentation

9:00 - 12:30

 

Oral presentation of essay for all participants

13:30 - 17:00

C147

 

 

If you have any questions about the Master course "Philosophy of Systems Biology", please feel free to contact me by E-mail (fred.boogerd@falw.vu.nl).

 

Dr Fred C. Boogerd

Molecular Cell Physiology

Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam