This interdisciplinary course will give you an increased understanding of the complex relationship between migration and health and the ethical principles connected to it. You will also gain knowledge about how different definitions and the migratory process impacts the health of migrants and how health outcomes will vary for different groups of migrants.
About the course
Content
This course has a multidisciplinary approach with teachers and students contributing with their diverse experiences to learn and discuss concepts and trends in migration and health, migration processes, migration as a determinant for health, vulnerable groups and their special needs, gender aspects, religion and culture influencing the health of migrants, how migrants and host societies influence each other, ethics in migration, and human rights.
The aim of the course is to give an improved understanding of migrants' health and knowledge to work with various aspects related to the health of migrants.
The course will be given in English, online, and is given during evenings making it possible for the students to combine with other studies or work.
Learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding
- Describe in general various forms of migration and groups of migrants
- Describe in general different phases in the migration process and how it affects the health of migrants
- Describe in detail how migration is a social determinant of health
- Identify various push and pull factors for migration
- Describe in general the effects of migration in home and host countries
Skills and abilities:
- Discuss ethical questions in the migration context in relation to the health of migrants
- Discuss how citizenship has a significance to access the healthcare system
- Discuss the health of migrants from the rights perspective with special focus on dignity and needs for everyone
Evaluation ability and approach
- Compare the various perspectives on migration and health
- Analyse the relevance of religion and culture for the health of migrants and the health system in host countries
Assessment
To receive a final grade for the course, the student needs to actively participate and successfully complete compulsory sessions and oral presentations and obtain a pass grade for the written assignment. If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the University's disability coordinator. All examination will be in English.
Grading system: Fail (U), Pass (G)
Lecturers
Soorej Jose Puthoopparambil, Senior lecturer at Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University
Una Murray, University of Galway
Michaela Kostičová, Comenius University
Course dates
Online: 3 Sep – 5 Dec 2025. There will be one lecture per week from 18.00 until 20.00 (CET).
How to apply?
General entry requirements (all ENLIGHT students are welcome). Students will be selected at each of these universities separately. Students interested in the course need to apply via their home university. They should contact their faculty or programme to verify whether it can fit in their curriculum and to ensure academic recognition of the credits obtained. The home university will select the permitted number of students, inform the students as soon as possible, and then send these names to the host institution. Unsuccessful students will be placed on a waiting list and may get a place, if other universities do not use all their allocated places. Waiting lists are encouraged.
Please select your home university below and contact your ENLIGHT coordinator for further information on the application process or consult the linked information.
Please only list those partners whose students can apply for your course:
- University of the Basque Country:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - University of Bern: Application instructions for students at the University of Bern
- University of Bordeaux:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - Comenius University Bratislava:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - University of Galway:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - Ghent University:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (see information about BIP's) - University of Groningen:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - University of Göttingen:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (for BIP’s) orThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (other courses) - University of Tartu: Application instructions for students at the University of Tartu
- Uppsala University: Application instructions for students at Uppsala University.