Uppsala University is a research university in Uppsala, Sweden, and is the oldest university in Sweden and all of the Nordic countries, founded in 1477. It ranks among the best universities in Northern Europe in international rankings.
##The introduction of the first antibiotic in the 1940s marks a true turning point in human history. For the first time, once deadly infectious diseases, such as pneumonia and bloodstream infections, became manageable health problems and new horizons for modern medicine were defined. The marketing of other antibiotics soon followed, and as a result of their initial success, bacterial infections were considered to be permanently defeated.Explore the rise of antibiotic resistanceHowever, misuse of antibiotics worldwide has eroded their efficacy and antibiotic-resistant bacteria rapidly emerge and spread across the globe. At the same time, the pipeline of new antibiotics is now almost dry.The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that we have arrived at a point where the pandemic of antibiotic resistance has become a global health crisis. It is a silent tsunami that, without a sound, roars over the world and crumbles down the pillars upon which modern medicine is built. More than anything, this situation requires immediate action and we all need to share the responsibility for preserving antibiotics for current and future generations.Understand antibiotic resistance and how to take actionThis free online course introduces the concepts of antibiotic resistance and what actions are needed to meet this global health threat.Over the four weeks, you will learn about the mechanisms behind the emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, gain insight into the current situation, and take part of real-life stories told by patients, doctors, and other experts.This knowledge will help you to understand what challenges we are facing, but also what preventative actions and other control mechanisms we can implement to limit the impact of antibiotic resistance on our society.Examine the development and use of antibiotics worldwideAs we progress through the weeks, we will also discuss the modest development of new antibiotics, as well as the urgent need for innovation in the field. Finally, we will bring up the dilemma of how to simultaneously address the access to and the excessive use of antibiotics in low- and middle-income countries.This course will give you the tools to understand how antibiotic resistance unfolds, and how it can best be managed, controlled and prevented at both the societal and individual level.This course is suitable for members of the public, students, health professionals or any other experts who want to gain a broader understanding of antibiotic resistance. A glossary will be provided to help those who are new to the subject understand scientific words and concepts.
##Climate change creates a situation of unprecedented urgency, complexity and uncertainty, but also opens up new opportunities for innovation and leadership.In this free online course, you will get a view of the leadership challenges associated with climate change, as well as the new arenas that are opening up for climate action.Discover the leadership challenges posed by climate changeThere are repeated calls for bold climate change leadership and action within politics, business, and both established and grassroots organisations, but what does it really entail? What kind of knowledge and skills define a climate change leader and how can they be learned? What kind of political, cultural and psychological resources are lacking in present initiatives?In this course, we will explore climate change leadership from a broad range of perspectives. We will take stock of the Paris Agreement – the first-ever legally binding global climate deal – and discuss climate justice and pathways to avoid catastrophic climate change. We will examine the social complexity of climate change, and how it may limit the effectiveness of traditional models of leadership within governance, management and development. And we will discuss how to unpack this complexity and identify climate change leadership opportunities in practical, political and personal spheres.Consider climate change leadership from international to local levelsClimate change leadership does not only happen in negotiation rooms at international conferences. A central part of the course is therefore to identify, discuss and work with climate change leadership challenges in your own context.You will create a climate change leadership plan for an organisation or issue that you care about, develop your own capacity as a climate change leader and discover ways to deal with climate change that are in proportion to the scale and urgency of the challenge.Learn with interdisciplinary climate change leaders at Uppsala UniversityThe course has been developed by Uppsala University – a broad research university, which makes it particularly suited to investigate interdisciplinary areas such as climate change leadership.Throughout, you will learn with researchers who approach climate change and leadership from scientific, social and cultural standpoints, giving you the tools for creating change within your own personal and organisational contexts.This course is designed for anyone who wants to take a leading role in tackling climate change. You might work in a small business, an NGO, a university faculty, government or municipality administration - or just be curious.
##Economic crises often have severe consequences - for everyone from governments and corporations to you and I. But crises can be seen as an essential part of an evolving economy, along with structural adjustments and institutional changes. In this course you will learn more about the role of financial crises, their history and how they can be interpreted.Explore the history of financial crisisCan we learn from the history of crises? With this course we’ll see financial crisis from a historical perspective - investigating different incidences of crisis in relation to context. By the end of the course you should be able to define and describe various economic and financial crises, and interpret such crises from a historical perspective.Understand the relationship between financial crises and business cyclesFinancial crises and business cycles are often closely interrelated. Various crises have evolved in different ways, depending on expectations, economic conditions, as well as institutional conditions, but we can also see some common patterns from historical examples. Could financial crisis be part of a natural business cycle?Learn how to effectively analyse financial crisesThroughout the course you’ll develop your ability to identify and explain the various relationships between political action, economic theory, and economic cycle. This will lead to you being able to interpret various crises and their causes, their historical paths, and consequences in political and economic terms.The central theme of this course is why and how business cycle slumps and financial market crashes have tended to occur and reoccur, and in what ways such downturns have been managed throughout history.Ever since the world transitioned from agrarian to industrialised economies, most countries have depended on business cycles and the performance of financial markets for their growth and progress. When financial disturbances have emerged at various times, the whole economy could be affected. Such turbulences have been observed in the slowing of economic growth and, occasionally, even political unrest.So, if business slumps and financial market turbulence have caused such big problems, why do they tend to re-emerge? Is there nothing to learn from history? During the course, we present five infamous downturns, which had a major impact when they occurred. As you will see during the course, although the downturns differed with regards to origin, impact, and persistence, they displayed certain common patterns and features. Such regularities, as well as the way the downturns have been managed, are highlighted in the course’s historical examples.You don’t need any prior knowledge to take this course, but an interest in finance, history, or economic history might be useful.