Using Different Approaches to Solving Complex Problems:
Responding to Pandemics

explore ~ experience ~ expand

Sunday dinner, September 16 - Friday, September 21, 2007
Applications are due by May 18
Applications are no longer open.
Course size limit: 16
No fee

Faculty: John Boothroyd
Guest Speakers to be announced
Contact Bonda Lewis, llewys@stanford.edu for more information.

“An historian, a scientist and an engineer are sitting in an airplane …”   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 topic 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 one's own field.
• Prepare a “white paper” suitable as a stand-alone policy document to be sent to the relevant federal office in Washington.

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 at 9 a.m. 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. 

The course is for students currently registered in graduate programs at Stanford, who will be continuing in the Fall.