Professors from three universities are teaming up to design
a new course looking at the environment and human health.
The 11-day ecohealth course will be offered annually and
rotate among the three universities — the University of Guelph in Ontario, the
University of British Columbia and Université du Québec à Montréal.
The initiative is backed by a $1-million grant from the
International Development Research Centre.
“Ecohealth has developed in response to the recognition
that human health and well-being is embedded within the health of the
ecosystem,” said Prof. Bruce Hunter of the Department of Pathobiology at
the University of
Guelph.
“When you focus on a human health problem, you have to
consider how humans interact with animals and their environment and the problem
is influenced by a wide range of other critical factors including
socio-economic factors and cultural and spiritual practices.
Effective solutions come from looking at the big
picture.”
The first course will be offered Aug. 5-15 in Vancouver.
It will be held in Guelph in
2009 and Quebec
the following year.
“Over the next two years the course will be upgraded to
become an accepted graduate level course within each of the universities,”
Hunter said in a news release.
Twenty-five graduate students and five professionals will be
accepted into the course this year, Hunter said.
Scholarships will be offered to help support graduate
students.
