PKC, SPPU to start online certificate course on epidemiology

Pune: The Pune Knowledge Cluster (PKC) and Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) have launched a new online certificate course “Understanding and Exploring Epidemiology”. Thes six-week course is free and open for all and is the first such course on epidemiology started in the light of Covid-19 pandemic by PKC and SPPU. Till now, 227 students have enrolled for the course from across the country and the US, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

The course will begin from Tuesday, July 20.

“The course is intended for post graduate students in Life Sciences, research scholars and those working or aspiring to work in the field of public health. The course aims to provide introduction to fundamental concepts, principles, measurements, and methods of epidemiological research. The sessions will be taught by eminent faculty in public health. At the end of the course, participants will have understood the practice of epidemiology as it relates to real life and would be able to understand and appreciate public health measures and programmes,” said Dr Aarti Nagarkar, course coordinator and director, SPPU’s Interdisciplinary school of health science.

Pune was among the first city-wide clusters approved by the office of the principal scientific advisor to the Union government on August 5. Other clusters include Hyderabad and Jodhpur. It is a step to connect organisations with a high-level of expertise in diverse domains such as science and technology, innovation and entrepreneurship, in and around Pune.

The Inter-university Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) has been designated to facilitate the project and the funding for the cluster from the advisor’s office will be dealt with by the office of the director of IUCAA. The cluster includes universities and colleges, research laboratories, research and development establishments at the national and state level that is situated in Pune, and the leading industries based in Pune.

“This is one of the first courses that we have started and have already received a good response from health science students and students from across the streams,” Dr Nagarkar said.

Some of the topics covered in the online course include Measures in epidemiology, Importance of surveillance in epidemiology, Impact of epidemiology on national and local policy: A case of Covid-19 pandemic and many others. Prominent faculty and experts from the field will be the presenters for the course, according to Dr Nagarkar.