Neurotechnologies take our understanding of the brain and nervous system and add in technical applications such as wearable sensors, brain-computer interfaces and AI-assisted methods for the neurosciences. The EMN master’s program is designed to train specialists capable of devising solutions like these across subject boundaries and gauging their impact on medicine and society.
“With this joint master’s, we’re pooling the skills and expertise of seven European universities in a single degree program,” says Professor Birgit Ulrike Münch, Vice Rector for International Affairs at the University of Bonn. “It’s designed to enable students to learn and research internationally and come into contact with different scientific points of view. This positive assessment recognizes the development work that everyone has put in and brings us closer to our goal of making European collaboration something tangible that students can experience on a daily basis.”
Combining the neurosciences with technology and responsibility
The curriculum is divided into four main areas: Brain Systems, which teaches the basics of the nervous system; Clinical, which is concerned with diseases, diagnostics and treatment; Technology, which is all about developing technical equipment and interfaces; and Computation, which covers analyzing neural data, modeling the brain and using AI. Ethical, legal and societal aspects are closely linked to all four areas.
“If you want to develop neurotechnologies, you need to understand how the nervous system works while also being able to gauge the possibilities offered by technical and data-based methods,” explains Professor Ilona Grunwald Kadow, Vice Rector for Research and Career Development at the University of Bonn. “The EMN master’s program combines these prospects with research-oriented teaching. Students will learn how to incorporate ethical, legal and societal questions into their work right from the start. Thus we’re laying the foundations for responsible innovation and scientific careers spanning subject boundaries.”
Studying and researching at partner universities across Europe
The four-semester degree program is worth 120 credit points under the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS). Courses and research visits are envisaged, as is an interdisciplinary master’s thesis in the research environments offered by the partner universities. The curriculum requires spending time at another partner university and includes learning formats that will see students tackle assignments taken from actual research and practice and collaborate with companies and healthcare institutions.
The EMN was created jointly by Radboud Universiteit (Netherlands), Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche (Spain), the University of Bonn (Germany), Boğaziçi Üniversitesi (Turkey), Universitatea de Medicină și Farmacie din Cluj-Napoca (Romania), Université de Lille (France) and Háskólinn í Reykjavík (Iceland).
The partners based its development on the European Approach for Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes, a Europe-wide framework designed to ensure the quality of joint degree programs. The positive report from the NVAO panel marks an important step on the road to implementation, with preparations for the program’s launch currently in their final stages.
Further information
NeurotechEU: https://neurotech.eu
Contact
NeurotechEU Project Office
University of Bonn
Phone: +49 228 73-9632
Email: neurotecheu@uni-bonn.de