Under the UniSpace programmed, a consortium of 17 Hungarian universities launched four separate but coordinated postgraduate courses in space science in September 2022. One of these is the three-semester Innovative Nutrition and Health Sciences training course, coordinated by the University of Debrecen. The graduating students of the first cohort received their degrees in the spring. The programmed now starts in English as Space Specialist in Life Sciences. Students can learn about topics such as space medicine, space telemedicine, space agriculture, space pharmacy, space nutrition and environmental psychology of extreme and unusual spaces.
- Among other things, students will learn about the health risks and physiological effects on astronauts in space, and about nutrition and food provisioning during extended space stays, such as what food can be produced in the spacecraft or on the space base. They are also examining how remote diagnostics can be used to treat patients," László Csernoch, Vice-Rector for Science at the University of Debrecen, told hirek.unideb.hu.
The professor added that the participants in the training will acquire knowledge that can be used not only in space but also on Earth, which can help solve the current problems of the population.
- The world's population is continuously growing, environmental conditions are changing, food is becoming a problem, and innovative solutions are needed, such as how to produce animal protein in small volumes with high efficiency. A pressing issue is that there is less and less land on earth to grow crops. The same is true for spacecraft and space bases. Space is limited, but we still have to feed people. So we need to develop crops and cultivation techniques that can produce a lot of food in a small space with little water, preferably crops that can be used for as many uses as possible, such as the space pepper developed at the University of Debrecen. If we solve these problems, we will not only help the future, but we will also tackle the current agricultural problems," said László Csernoch.
Students pay particular attention to the health of the astronaut.
- If you stay in a low-gravity environment for a long time, your muscles and bones will break down, and when you return to Earth you will need longer rehabilitation. If you think about it, similar changes take place in old age. Many people suffer from osteoporosis, lose muscle, and become weaker. So the research on how to prevent these negative physiological effects in astronauts can also serve medicine on Earth, and the results can be transferred to everyday medical practice," said the Vice-Rector of the University of Debrecen.
The Space Specialist in Life Sciences postgraduate course, coordinated by the Department of Sports and Space Sciences of the Faculty of Medicine, is open to those with a Master's degree in agriculture, medicine and health sciences or natural sciences (previously at university level) and at least two years of professional experience in their field.
Applications for the English-taught, fee-paying course can be submitted until 12 August by filling in the online application form on the DE Faculty of Medicine website. The interview will be held on 28 August and the training will start on 20 September. More information is available on the website of the Faculty of General Medicine. The online training will take place through the e-learning system of the University of Debrecen on Fridays and Saturdays, and students will also participate in practical sessions, for example at the military airbase in Kecskemét.
Four more universities have recently joined the Unispace programmed. In addition to the University of Debrecen, ELTE, Semmelweis University, the University of Szeged, the University of Pécs, MATE and the University of Veterinary Medicine are also participating as teaching partners in specific subjects.
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