In the face of escalating climate crises and environmental degradation, understanding the profound interconnections between human health and planetary well-being is more critical than ever.
In the face of escalating climate crises and environmental degradation, understanding the profound interconnections between human health and planetary well-being is more critical than ever. Inequalities in the impacts of connected systems, both between and within countries, are also drawing increased attention to issues of justice and equity. This summer course offers a unique opportunity to explore the health impacts of climate change, environmental degradation, and global inequalities through an interdisciplinary lens. The course emphasizes the disproportionate burden placed on marginalized communities while examining pathways for justice, transformation, and activism.
Throughout the course, participants will learn how the Planetary Health crisis is more than climate change alone but part of a wider environmental and systems-level issue that exacerbates an ongoing public health crisis, which itself is underpinned by societal inequities in health outcomes, access to resources, and political power. Drawing on case studies, historical perspectives, and the latest research, participants will engage deeply with themes such as decoloniality, the social, spatial, and political determinants of health, and the role of the private sector in health-harming (e.g. fossil fuels, tobacco, alcohol) and health-promoting (e.g. “green” technologies) activities. The course will also explore how urbanization and large infrastructure developments have concomitant impact on human health and living environments. Additionally, the course will encourage transformative thinking, providing participants with the tools to envision alternative, sustainable futures and the practical skills to advocate for health equity in their personal and professional lives.
Led by experts from various fields, the course includes interactive lectures, group discussions, and reflective sessions, offering both theoretical insights and practical approaches to integrating a planetary health perspective into their daily lives, advocacy, and activism. Participants will explore their roles as academics, professionals, and change-makers, fostering a sense of responsibility and agency to address the pressing challenges posed by the planetary health crisis.
Target audience: This course is open to all with an interest in planetary health and climate justice:
We would like to warmly welcome people from outside the healthcare sector, as we value diverse perspectives from other sectors and fields.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will be able to
Registration early bird (LMIC) 445 EUR
Registration late bird (LMIC) 545 EUR
Registration early bird (HIC) 695 EUR
Registration late bird (HIC) 845 EUR
The fees include course materials, coffee, tea, fruit, many Dutch cookies and a daily (vegetarian) lunch. The early bird registration fees apply until 1 April 2025.
*LMIC are low- and middle-income countries, as classified by the World Bank. Participants can apply for the LMIC fee based on the location of the institution which they are affiliated to. Please note: scholarship holders (including Erasmus+ KA171 participants) pay full fee.
**HIC are high-income countries, as classified by the World Bank.
For participants working in the private sector, late bird HIC-fee applies
Housing provider: Utrecht Summer School
The housing costs do not include a Utrecht Summer School sleeping bag. This is a separate product on the invoice. If you wish to bring your own bedding, please deselect or remove the sleeping bag from your order.
For this course you are required to upload the following documents when applying:
