Elective Course: Scientific Culture

PSL offers its students a range of modules and seminars that put different aspects of scientific practice into perspective.

Learning outcomes

This program allows students to take a step back from the practice of research and to reflect on the role of science in modern societies. It offers the necessary insights for those interested in scientific careers, and a gateway for those aiming towards other professions in the academic world, such as an Academic Project Manager, Lab Manager, or Scientific Mediator.
The program is structured around four themes:

Ethics and Scientific Integrity:

- Understanding the issue of scientific protocols, the use of data and their ethical and legal framework

The modules are organized taking the specific issues of each discipline into account and promoting an educational model where issues of integrity are addressed through immersion in laboratories and research practices.

Science and Society

- Social basis of research
- Role of research in the socioeconomic world
- Citizen Science practices and involvement of non-scientists in certain research projects

Knowledge of the Academic World

- General development of higher education and development of scientific careers
- Research funding methods
- Assessment practices

History of Science and Epistemology

- What is scientific knowledge? What is evidence?
- How do we deal with the day-to-day experience of scientific ignorance when in a research situation?

Teaching Methods:

These modules can be taken independently of each other. However, by successfully completing several of these modules, students can obtain a minor in ‘Scientific Culture’.

Coming soon