1. BCN Orientation Course 2012 (compulsory)

Theme of the course

The behavioural and cognitive neurosciences as they are 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 students within BCN, preferably in the first or second year, BCN Master Students and other interested persons are welcome.

Credits

3 EC by good results for the treatise.

Objectives

To provide general background information for non-specialists concerning major research themes within BCN. To facilitate multidisciplinary exchange of information and ideas within BCN. To become familiar with the various groups and their scientific ideas and techniques, with the explicit purpose to stimulate multidisciplinary approaches. A broad overview of research possibilities enables collaboration in unforeseen directions.
Multidisciplinarity is trained by asking the PhD students to prepare and write an essay on a research topic that is not in their own field but caught their interest during the course. They are requested not to summarize presentations but to develop their own view with proper reference to relevant literature.

Period

Starting September 9, 2011, on Friday every other week.

Form

Lectures with ample opportunities for questions and discussions, practical work, demonstrations and conducted tours.

Preliminary Themes

Day 1. Cognition and Language
Day 2. Exercise
Day 3. Intelligence
Day 4. Organization of Behaviour
Day 5. Adaptation
Day 6. Emotion

Evaluation

At the end of the course each participant writes a multidisciplinary treatise related to the course of about 1000 words. The summary is read by the course coordinator. The grade is the final grade of the course.

Obligatory literature

Hand outs of the presentations. Power Point Presentations will be available on NESTOR.

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)