Virtual Exchange Virtual Exchange

Dates: 05.10.2026 - 10.12.2026

Application deadline: 18.09.2026

Description: Antibiotic resistance is a global health threat because many infections caused by resistant bacteria in humans and animals are difficult to treat with the available antibiotics. Thus, antibiotic resistance is considered a "One Health" problem that affects the lives of humans, animals, and the environment. This phenomenon is mainly due to the ability of bacteria and their genes to spread reciprocally between species. However, the overuse and abuse of antibiotics in human and veterinary medicine and agriculture can significantly increase the spread and persistence of antibiotic resistance in various ecosystems. For instance, if we focus on one of the vital elements, “water”, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and their genes have been found in sediments, lakes, oceans and rivers. The presence of antibiotic resistance in marine ecosystems can be attributed to discharges from farms, aquaculture, pharmaceutical companies, human waste, and hospitals. This has global implications for wildlife, marine life, and human life.

This course, therefore, links these two priority topics: antibiotic resistance and marine conservation, under the "One Health" approach, as they are interconnected and have widespread implications for the human, animal, and environmental health.

Syllabus_Antibiotics Resistance & Marine Conservation.pdf

Target group: Bachelor / Master / PhD students in human health, animal health, environmental studies and social studies.

Format: Asynchronous with synchronous sessions on 8.10, 15.10, 22.10, 19.11, 26.11 and 10.12. 

Dates: 05.10.2026 - 31.01.2027

Application deadline: 18.09.2026

Description: "Scientific Writing" in English is a crucial qualification course for students of all disciplines and all skill levels (Bachelor's, Master's, PhD). Specifically for students of natural sciences who are often required to draft texts in English (ranging from letters & e-mails about papers, to abstracts, to posters, to scientific publication and third party applications), this course shall not only help them encounter the "fear of blank page", but also help them overcome the language barrier. The online seminar "Scientific Writing" aims at targeting students of natural sciences and health sciences who wish to improve their academic writing skills in English. The course navigates from dealing with basic linguistic features to complex expertise of academic writing. Initially the course deals with the first steps of scientific writing, the phase of preparation of the article. The course explains how to search and manage the scientific literature as well as how to plan the writing process. In a second phase, the course guides through the writing process itself. After dealing with important aspects of English language and expression in scientific writing, the course offers learning units that help in acquiring expertise in drafting various parts of a scientific publication. Additionally, these learning units offer a step-by-step opportunity to compose one’s own scientific publication. In a third phase, the course explains how to publish and present a scientific publication. In this part of the course students can acquire knowledge not only regarding the procedure of submitting an article to a journal, but also concerning the oral and poster presentation of the scientific publication.

The objective of the seminar is to provide a brief theoretical introduction on each topic of the course. Exercises with clearly defined tasks give students the opportunity to test what they have learned and applied directly during the flow of the seminar. Immediate feedback from the tutor can help the students with their queries if they are stuck. The learning objectives are specified at the end of each class. The lectures shall be held independent of other events and shall be open to audiences of all types.

Target group: Bachelor / Master / PhD in natural sciences and health sciences.

Format: Asynchronous

Dates: 30.11.2026 - 28.02.2027

Application deadline: 02.11.2026

Description: This course will introduce students to the connections between climate change and health. The content material provides a framework to understand the basic mechanisms of climate change and the extent of its impacts on human and animal health, identifying the connection between planetary challenges and local threats. Role-playing exercises encourage the practice of thinking systemically, adopting holistic perspectives, and working with creativity and collaboration to find immediate and long-term solutions.

Syllabus_One Health and Climate Change.pdf

Target group: Master / PhD students in human health, animal health, environmental studies and social studies.

Format: Asynchronous with synchronous sessions on 2.12, 13.01, 3.02, 10.02 and 24.02.

Dates: January - March 2027 (exact dates tbc)

Application deadline: 02.11.2026

Description: This course provides a basic knowledge of the disease outbreak investigation process using the COVID-19 pandemic as an example. Theoretical foundation will be provided to participants to support outbreak management in their local communities. The content is divided into two main chapters: 1) Introduction to Outbreak Investigation and 2) Infection Prevention and Control in Acute Respiratory Infections for Health Workers in Low and Middle-Income Countries.

Syllabus_Introduction to Outbreak Investigation.pdf

Target group: Master / PhD

Format: Asynchronous