The University of Debrecen is launching a new program in February focusing on space health and nutrition
Students enrolling in a new postgraduate programme at the University of Debrecen in February will have the opportunity to study space medicine, space telemedicine, space agriculture and space nutrition. Applications for the two-semester, Hungarian-language postgraduate course in Innovative Nutrition and Space Health Sciences are open until December 18.
The programme aims to train professionals with expertise in life sciences, particularly nutrition and health sciences, who can develop solutions to the medical and nutritional challenges associated with long-duration space travel and living on exoplanets. The course takes a multidisciplinary approach to addressing these challenges.
The programme offers a broad range of knowledge, covering areas such as space medicine, space telemedicine and space pharmacy. Students will also explore the specific challenges of space agriculture, space nutrition, food safety and radiation biology, as well as the psychological effects of extreme and unusual environments.
The knowledge gained through the programme will not only be applicable to space exploration and future space travel but could also have practical applications in everyday life on Earth.
“During the programme, students will learn about the medical and physiological risks of space travel, the nutritional challenges of long-term stays in space, and the possibilities offered by remote diagnostics and telemedicine. Innovative food production solutions will also play a key role, including methods that enable efficient crop cultivation in limited spaces using minimal amounts of water, such as the development of space peppers.
“Students will also study the effects of low gravity on muscles and bones, as well as ways to prevent these effects,” explained János Magyar, the programme organiser and Head of the Department of Sport and Space Physiology at the University of Debrecen’s Faculty of Medicine.
The postgraduate programme is coordinated by the Department of Sport and Space Physiology at the Faculty of Medicine. Applicants must hold a master’s degree (or an equivalent former university-level qualification) in agricultural sciences, medical and health sciences, or natural sciences, and have at least two years of professional experience in their respective fields.
“The online classes will take place on Fridays and Saturdays. Students will also participate in practical sessions, including at the military airbase in Kecskemét, as well as at the University of Debrecen as part of the course on the environmental psychology of extreme and unusual spaces,” János Magyar added.
In addition to the University of Debrecen, lecturers from several other Hungarian higher education institutions will contribute to the programme. These include Semmelweis University, the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME), the University of Szeged, the University of Pécs, Óbuda University, the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE), and the University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest.
Applications for the Hungarian-language, self-funded programme can be submitted until December 18 by completing the online application form available on the Faculty of Medicine’s website:
https://aok.unideb.hu/jelentkezesi-lap-szakiranyu-tovabbkepzes
Admission interviews will take place in January, and the programme is scheduled to begin on February 8.
Further details and information about the programme are available on the Faculty of Medicine’s website.
The course is part of the UniSpace programme. In September 2022, four independent but coordinated postgraduate programmes in space sciences were launched through a consortium of four Hungarian universities, with the participation of 17 universities. The University of Debrecen coordinates the Innovative Nutrition and Space Health Sciences programme within this initiative.