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Beyond Borders: Challenging Health Equity in Superdiverse Cities

Exchange programme

Rotterdam, a bustling modern super-diverse city, also known as a majority-minority city, hosting more than 200 different nationalities, welcomes you for an exciting learning experience related to two of the 17 Social Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by United Nations in 2015 as a call to action to ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity: Good health and well-being (SDG 3) and the reduction of inequalities within and among countries (10).

We offer you the courses ’inclusion in a superdiverse city’, ‘healthy cities’ and ‘health literacy’ in which you work on challenges that contribute to the goals of the SDGs. The city of Rotterdam, with lots of learning possibilities, plays an important role in all of these courses.

According to the World Health Organization 'globally, health is steadily improving: people are healthier, wealthier and living longer today than they did thirty years ago'. However, the health status varies between countries and recently there has been extensive evidence of growing health inequalities within countries both by geographical location and by socioeconomic group (WHO, 2008).

Equality and inclusion within health and social care is vital to ensuring people's differences are valued and that people are treated equally and supported to take part in whatever they wish to do. It is also important that services support all people.

As a future health professional you work with citizens with different backgrounds and different standards of health. Understanding these citizens start with listening, and showing intercultural sensitivity. This will be your first step towards an inclusive city, the increase of health literacy and the reduction of health inequalities.

This is officially a 30 ECTS programme (3 courses + project/internship), but with the possibility to join only one of their courses with a minimum of 5 ECTS. For more information, scroll down to section Subjects.

Facts and figures

The programme at a glance

Programme information

What to expect

About the programme

The 2030 agenda, a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity, for sustainable development promotes the improvement of health equity. You are challenged to contribute to SDG 3: Good health and well-being and SDG 10: the reduction of inequalities within and among countries.

Good health and well-being

Goal 3 aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all, at all ages. Health and well-being are important at every stage of one’s life, starting from the beginning. This goal addresses all major health priorities: reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health; communicable and non-communicable diseases; universal health coverage; and access for all to safe, effective, quality and affordable medicines and vaccines. It also aims to prevent needless suffering from preventable diseases and premature death by focusing on key targets that boost the health of a country’s overall population. Regions with the highest burden of disease and neglected population groups and regions are priority areas (Source: www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment).  

Reduce inequalities within and among countries

Inequalities based on income, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, race, class, ethnicity, religion and opportunity continue to persist across the world. Inequality threatens long-term social and economic development, harms poverty reduction and destroys people’s sense of fulfilment and self-worth (…). We cannot achieve sustainable development and make the planet better for all if people are excluded from the chance for a better life (Source: www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment). 

Method

This programme has embedded Challenge Based Learning (CBL) combined with Design Thinking in their curriculum.

Type of assessment

Portfolio assessment (including presentation)

Learning outcomes

If you have successfully completed this exchange programme then, as a future health professional, you are:

  • Able to open up to perspectives of others by becoming aware of assumptions. You contribute to inclusiveness in a superdiverse city.
  • Aware of the complexity of health inequalities in a superdiverse city. You contribute to healthy lives and well-being of urban citizens.
  • Aware of the importance of health literacy. You contribute to better health and well-being of urban citizens.

Calendar

Course 1 | Inclusion in a superdiverse city:  February 5th – March 1st 2024 (including a one-week holiday)

Week 1      You’ll start working on a challenge, for which no solution has been found yet.
Week 2 Together with your team, you will be looking at a research- and/or design questions that might contribute to (partly) solving this problem. 
Week 3 After that, you and your team will search for a potential solution to answer your question. You’ll present your ideas in a presentation in front of a panel of partners and future clients.

 

Course 2 | Healthy cities:  March 4th – March 22nd 2024

Week 1         You’ll start working on a challenge, for which no solution has been found yet.
Week 2 Together with your team, you will be looking at a research- and/or design questions that might contribute to (partly) solving this problem. 
Week 3 After that, you and your team will search for a potential solution to answer your question. You’ll design new concepts, develop prototypes and test them. You’ll present your ideas in a presentation in front of a panel of partners and future clients.

 

Course 3 | Health literacy: March 25th - April 12th 2024

Week 1         You’ll start working on a challenge, for which no solution has been found yet.
Week 2 Together with your team, you will be looking at a research- and/or design questions that might contribute to (partly) solving this problem. 
Week 3 After that, you and your team will search for a potential solution to answer your question. You’ll design new concepts, develop prototypes and test them. You’ll present your ideas in a presentation in front of a panel of partners and future clients.

 

Project and Fieldwork 

Students who would like to add 15 extra ECTS, can participate in a project as well. For more information about this, please scroll down to section Subjects - block 4

Awarding

After completing your exchange programme at Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, you will receive a:

  • Transcript of records

Subjects

An indication of the subjects you can expect

Location

Where you can find us
Foto van locatie Location

Rochussenstraat

Rochussenstraat 198 3015 EK Rotterdam