Maastricht University - Center for European Studies

This module elaborates on the psychological consequences of brain damage and dysfunction; several neurological and neuropsychological diseases are discussed. The main objective is the reciprocal relation between (dis)functioning of the brain, cognitions, emotions, and behavior. Looking at patients not only provides information about dysfunctioning, but also informs the students about the normal functions of the brain. The approach is multidisciplinary covering both biomedical and psychological aspects of neuropsychological functioning. The following topics are covered: neuroanatomy of the brain (central nervous system), functions of several brain areas/circuits, neuropsychological disorders after brain damage, causes of neuropsychological disorders, diagnosis of neuropsychological disorders, treatment of neuropsychological disorders, theoretical models concerning brain functioning, biomedical, neurological and psychosocial factors associated with neuropsychological disorders.

Global Intercultural Management explores different aspects of intercultural management, including teams, leadership, Human Resource Management, values, culture, and negotiations. The units are designed to develop student's abilities to compare and analyze the reasons for fundamental differences, in intercultural management and governance practices that exist amongst key organizations and societies around the world. Studies focus on comparative analysis of combinations of cultures (societies and public and private governance) across Nations, corporations and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Inter-Governmental Organizations (IGOs). These fundamental understandings are essential to successfully shaping policies and decisions for executives and managers in a much globalized world. Students are challenged to explore and explain intercultural issues that influence and impact global management. Students have the opportunity to develop a deeper knowledge about how culture shapes management practices in international organizations. Academic inquiry is explored through the examination of the following units: The Global Challenge Unit; Culture and Intercultural Management Unit; Organizational Culture –Global Interaction Unit; Values and Culture: Impact and Influence Unit; Intercultural Communication and Cultural Competence Unit; Leadership Foundation and Styles– Effective Multicultural Teams Unit; International Management – HR Strategies Unit; Role of the Global Manager.

This course provides students interested in Forensic Psychology and Law with an introduction to topics typical for this field. Examples of such topics are paraphilic disorders, substance use disorder, child abuse, the fallibility of eyewitness memory, lie detection, and alcohol-related amnesia. In each tutorial, research articles and case material descriptions related to a theme are studied and discussed. The examination consists of writing a paper about a topic related to the field of Forensic Psychology or Psychology and Law and active participation during the tutorials through giving presentations and actively discussing the reading materials.

An exploration of vertebrate evolution and paleobiology, with emphasis on the anatomical and physiological transformations that occurred at the evolutionary originations of major vertebrate groups.  The structure and function of both extant and extinct taxa are explored, as documented by modern fauna and the fossil record. Topics studied include locomotion and the origin of fins and limbs, the transition from water to land, dinosaur physiology, the origin of flight, and mammalian reproduction.

Positive psychology was introduced by Martin Seligman around 2000 and can be viewed as a supplementary approach to clinical psychology. The positive psychological movement formulated three aims: (1) to focus on well-being and happiness instead of abnormal behavior and psychopathology, (2) to be concerned with building positive qualities and strengths instead of repairing damage, and (3) to prevent future problems instead of correcting past and present problems. This course starts with a general introduction to the field of positive psychology. The main concepts are introduced and clarified, and an overview of the results of happiness studies is presented. In subsequent meetings, various topics are discussed in lectures and group discussions including mindfulness, positive emotions, resilience, self-determination theory, self-compassion, and research in the field. There is ample room to gain hands-on experience with positive psychological techniques ranging from simple journaling exercises to mindfulness meditation. The course provides participants with the tools to be able to evaluate and design research in the area of positive psychology, but also with the skills to apply some important intervention techniques. Final assessment is by means of an individual paper on a topic of choice within the field of positive psychology. The course includes a field trip.

The positive psychological movement formulated three aims: to focus on well-being and happiness instead of abnormal behavior and psychopathology; to be concerned with building positive qualities and strengths instead of repairing damage; to prevent future problems instead of correcting past and present problems. In this course, students unlock character strengths and focus on helpful ways to support themselves during difficult times. The course covers the most important theories in Positive Psychology and encourages students to search for scientific literature that applies the topics covered to their specific areas of interest. The course includes a combination of lectures, experiential workshops, group meetings, and self-study.

This version of the European Public Health in a Globalizing World course includes an Independent Study Project (ISP) done under the direction of the instructor. The ISP is 10-12 pages and counts for 1/3 of the overall grade for the course. The course provides an overview of modern health challenges in Europe and how they are shaped by a variety of themes within stakeholders in policy, research, and practice. Such themes include developing a unified system of population health monitoring across sovereign countries; coping with population aging and rising healthcare expenditures; managing commercial and social determinants of health; supporting cross-border collaboration between national health systems; fostering learning and the exchange of expertise in social and health policy; and identifying a global role for European Public Health. The current course combines theory with practice through lectures, tutorials, and a masterclass. Lectures introduce the content and initiate discussions on topics covered by the course. In addition, the course makes use of problem-based learning (PBL), a prominent learning method widely used at Maastricht University, in which students actively engage in their own learning. Finally, the course includes an exchange of views in the form of a masterclass with a senior expert in European health policy. To facilitate a fruitful learning environment a moderate level of health-related knowledge is required. Hence, the course is directed toward students attending bachelor or master's courses in medicine, public health science, sociology, anthropology, political science, or economics.

In this course students receive an overview of the basic principles of connectionism and neural networks ranging from simple to complex models of neurons and their interconnections. Students learn how these models are used to study brain function for a wide range of topics including vision, decision making, and higher cognition. The course begins by identifying the brain, its structures, and their function. Also covered is the type of information processing carried out in the neural structures and what the physical and biological constrains are within those neural structures.

In Part I of this course, students are introduced to studying in an academic environment, the Problem Based Learning (PBL) system, the library, and the structure and content of the European Public Health program. Students examine the many dimensions and complexity of the concept of health, reflect on how health has been defined within various traditions over time, and elaborate on concepts of "public" and "European." In Part II, students examine determinants of health at various levels with the most influential models. The topic of health inequalities is introduced.  Part III focuses on the European Union by addressing issues such as the history of the EU, the main economic purpose of the EU, the EU treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU, the EU institutions, and the decision-making processes on EU level. The course ends with a reflection on several ethical issues and dilemmas at play when thinking about public health in Europe. 

This skills course teaches students how to conduct the semi-structured clinical interview for the DSM-5 (SCID I) and Axis II (SCID II) diagnoses. Students learn to carry out the interview and to interpret the outcomes, to establish differential diagnoses, and to summarize findings in a written report. Special emphasis lies on comparing the patient's answer to a question and the clinical judgement of stating whether certain behavioral criterion is met or not. Note that this training is not restricted to anxiety psychopathology, but to psychopathology in general.