Time and place: March 12-16, 2012 , Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Agnes Sjöbergin katu 2, Viikki, Helsinki, Finland

Content: During the course the students get familiar with the principles and theory of molecular detection methods such as real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The course contains lectures, demonstrations, laboratory practice, presentations and writing tasks. The course language is English. Lecturers are invited from Nordic as well as Baltic countries. Preliminary course programme can be seen on NOVA webpage http://www.nova‑university.org/.

Target group: veterinarians, undergraduate and postgraduate students in veterinary medicine and PhD students in NOVA universities.

Course fee: 0 € for the undergraduate students and for the postgraduate students in veterinary medicine. Other participants 450 €/course or 100 €/day.

Course fee and accommodation for NOVA PhD students:
For PhD students registered at any of the NOVA member institutions, NOVA PhD courses are free of charge and includes accommodation and meals. Travel costs are not covered by NOVA.

Registration: Deadline 27.2.2012  by email el-eyhl@helsinki.fi.

Additional information: Leena Maunula, leena.maunula@helsinki.fi

 Number of participants: max. 25 persons.

Emeritus Professor Lars Reinius died on 16 January at the age of 92. He was the founder of Finnish academic teaching and research in the field of food hygiene. He was born on 26.07.1919 and graduated as a veterinarian in 1947 in Royal Veterinary College, Stockholm. He defended his doctoral thesis in 1953 in the College of Veterinary Medicine, Helsinki (nowadays Faculty of Veterinary Medicine), and nominated as a docent in 1955.

After graduating as a veterinarian Reinius worked as a senior assistant both in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Royal Veterinary College as well as a veterinarian in City of Helsinki. Reinius was appointed as the first Professor of Food Hygiene in 1961 and he was responsible for the establishment of the Department of Food Hygiene (nowadays Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health) and starting of the food hygiene education and research.

Between 1966-1969 he worked as Rector of the College of Veterinary Medicine and took part effectively in the development of veterinary education in Finland.

In 1970, Reinius moved to work with the health legislation issues related to world′s meat trade, in FAO, Rome. In 1972 he moved to Geneva and later to Berlin, to work for WHO. In WHO he worked as a scientific expert on food hygiene and food poisoning monitoring. Reinius was retired in 1984.

Written by Johanna Seppälä.