BCN Orientation Course 

Compulsory for all BCN PhD candidates. GSMS PhD students with interest in Neuroscience should send an email if they like to participate.

Theme of the course

The behavioural and cognitive neurosciences as represented in the University of Groningen. The course includes presentations of the main scientific questions and the major research techniques that are applied within the Research School BCN.

Target Group

PhD candidates within BCN, preferably in the first or second year, and BCN Master Students.

Objectives

1.To introduce junior PhD candidates in the BCN Training Program to the many types of research done within Research School of Behavioral and Cognitive Neurosciences.   
2.To facilitate and stimulate the development of professional and social networks with your peers.
3.To develop and train a positive critical attitude in evaluating and discussing research from within and beyond your own specialization.
4. To develop your ability to communicate your research to a broad audience.

You will be exposed to the research of a large number of excellent scientists who are affiliated with BCN. Specifically, the course consists of a series of meeting in which PI’s affiliated to BCN will give a talk about their research. Each meeting will include researchers working in different subdisciplines of neuroscience research.

Your final assignment for the course consists of writing a short paper and providing a peer review of the papers of two other PhD candidates. More detailed information is available on Brightspace.

Period
Starting 2nd week of September on Friday Morning (9:00 - 13:00) during 7 weeks.

Form
Lectures with ample opportunities for questions and discussions, practical work.

Course material
Course material will be available on Brightspace. Your Pnumber will give you access to the course, once you are added to the course (1st week of September) Contact me if you don't have access: d.h.koopmans@umcg.nl

Recommended literature
- Kandel, Schwarz & Jessell (eds.), “Essentials of Neural Science and Behaviour”, 743 pp. (Prentice Hall, London, 1995; ISBN 0-8385-2247-5).
- Gleitman and Liberman, “Language”. (MIT Press, Cambridge MA, 1996; ISBN 0262-65044-4). (In the series: “An Invitation to Cognitive Science, Vol.1).
- Posner (ed.), “Foundations of Cognitive Science”, 888 pp. (MIT Press, 1993; ISBN 0-2626-6086-5 ($ 42.00, paperback version).
- Gazzaniga, Mangun & Mangun, “Cognitive Neuroscience: The Biology of the Mind”, 600 pp (Norton, 1998; ISBN 0-3939-7219-4).

The cancellation rules are different for this course: If you miss more than 1 day, please inform the course coordinator.