Solving Complex Problems: Responding to Pandemics
explore ~ experience ~ expand
Using Different Approaches to Solving Complex Problems: Responding to Pandemics
Sunday, September 7 ~ Friday, September 12, 2008
No fee
APPLICATION DEADLINE - May 15, 2008
~ Organizing Faculty: John Boothroyd, Microbiology and Immunology
"An economist, a scientist and an engineer walked into a bar..." It’s a theme for many a joke that exploits the humor in how differently people in these and other professions think. This course will bring a diverse mix of graduate students together to teach one-another about alternative ways to think about and approach a problem, using bird flu as a wonderful (and terrifying) example. Students will brainstorm around topics related to this such as:
* What can history of influenza epidemics teach us about the relative risk and appropriate response?
* How can the biotech revolution be exploited to anticipate and respond to such a threat?
* What role do global economics and political change have to play?
* What can the engineers contribute to detection and control?
* What are the legal and ethical considerations of some of the potential control measures?
The other major goals of this course are:
* Expand each students’ intellectual repertoire for approaching a problem.
* Teach people how to network and communicate to experts in fields other than their own.
* Expose the class to important resources available outside their own fields.
* Prepare a “white paper” suitable as a stand-alone policy document.
It is hoped that students from across the entire Stanford campus will participate. We are convinced that every student will have a unique and invaluable contribution to make. Our fantasy team would consist of something like one or two students from each of the following disciplines: engineering, political science, economics, earth sciences, life sciences, medicine, law, business, history and a dozen more.
Mornings will begin with students educating their classmates about the basics of their discipline that pertain to this subject.
This will be followed by a different guest speaker each day who will present expert views on aspects introduced earlier in the morning.
After lunch, there will be a discussion of the topic and small group break-out sessions to brainstorm around ideas of how a given discipline can help prepare for, prevent or control an emerging infection.