Where the future experts and life science sector grow together
If there is one word in the health science sector that is in everyone’s mouth, it must be innovation. The use of this word is not always correct, and its meaning seems to get lost. To learn about this very popular topic, we had a lesson in the Integrative Health Biosciences course imparted by Otto Kari, vice-president of the Finnish Red Cross and with expertise in both pharmacy and R&D management and research administration.
One of the biggest problems that life sciences students face nowadays is that education and real life seem to be in two different planes that doesn´t mix. No matter how well trained you are in microbiology, genetics, neurobiology, etc., once you finish your studies and are released into the world, you just don’t know what to do. Universities are very good at producing great (and not so great) researchers and teachers, no doubt about that, but what about entrepreneurs? What about scientist with knowledge in administration and bureaucracy? Students are just helpless when trying to get into the industry world. This is the reason why courses such as “integrative health biosciences” and events like Slush Y Science are so important, as they bring the academic plane to real life.
Today we will start the flagship course, GMB-401 Integrative health Biosciences of the new study track Molecular and Analytical Health Biosciences (MAB) in the master’s program of Genetics and Molecular Biosciences (GMB).
Wow, it is a mouthful, isn’t it!
But. What it simply means is that 18 registered students and three excited teachers (Vilja Pietiäinen FIMM, Kati Öörni Wihuri Research Institute and myself, Pia Siljander) will embark on a journey to create a novel course with the aim to enable the Master’s students to see what is really out there for them as the future experts of bisociences and to form the necessary contacts outside the University to get there. Very simple.
We have an exciting course program e.g. SLUSH Y SCIENCE visit, and we hope that we will be able to blog more about the course soon. Or better – the students will blog about the course themselves, because they will be in the focus here!
So, bring it on , baby!
-Pia RM Siljander
University of Helsinki