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Biotech explained to high-school teachers

May 22nd 2018

Gain insight into biotechnologies’ issues and challenges to better train workers and users of tomorrow! ULB-HeLSci, the centre for continuing education on health and life sciences, offers a yearly training programme for science teachers in secondary schools, on biotechnologies applied to health.

‘Our intent is to communicate on recent scientific advances in this rapidly-changing field’, explains Erika Baus, scientific manager at HeLSci. ‘We teach participants about concrete applications and related industrial developments. We also talk about social issues, as well as challenges and professions related to biotechnologies.’
Some 60 secondary school teachers have been able to acquire up-to-date information on biotechnologies.

From teachers to students

By refreshing the teachers' knowledge, this training programme has two goals for the younger generation:
• Transfer knowledge to students and possibly encourage discussions on certain social and/or ethical issues (such as the impact of the anti-vaccine movement on public health);
• Help students make more informed choices about their studies and future careers.

For whom?

This programme is organized by the ULB Continuing Education Center and recognized by the Institut de la Formation en cours de Carrière (IFC). It is mainly intended for science professors (biology, physics, chemistry) in secondary and specialised schools. ‘We also offer other programmes for teachers in post-secondary schools and their students, with à la carte courses’, explains Arnaud Termonia, head of Continuing Education and Pôle Santé at ULB. ‘This is an opportunity for them to access modern equipment that their schools cannot afford.’

Curriculum

The IFC's training programme on biotechnologies takes four half-days, each on a specific topic:
1. General introduction to the industry and the related professions;
2. Sequencies technologies for the human genomes and their applications;
3. Biotechnology applications in the field of gene therapy, cell therapy, and tissue engineering;
4. Biotechnology applications in the field of immunology.

In practice

Classes are given at the Biopark, in Gosselies.
The next session will be held in March, 2019. Participants can sign up though the IFC's course catalogue.