PhD Courses in Denmark

Welcome to Interdiciplinary PhD Course on Universal Design

Description: 

The purpose of the PhD course is to increase awareness and understanding of the concept of universal design among future researchers who work with projects related social sustainability, anti-discrimination and the UN's cross-cutting agenda Leave No-one Behind.

This interdisciplinary and cross-institutional PhD course on universal design will introduce PhD students to the diverse research in universal design or anti-discrimination in the fields of design of services, IT, products and the build environment and contribute to improving the PhD students' insight into the diverse approaches and methods for inclusion.

The course will include:

● Professional development within Universal Design conceptual understanding and definition

● The theoretical basis used in the various professional areas

● User perspectives that are used in the various professional areas

● Research methodological approaches to the fields, both quantitative and qualitative methods.

● Presentation of research projects working within the field of universal design and Leave No-one Behind

The course has three levels:

First, it offers an operational framing of theories and concepts from the humanities, social sciences, and critical design thinking.

Secondly, these are illustrated on cases drawn from the research of the lecturers.

Thirdly, the course requires participants to present their research projects within the framing of universal design/anti-discrimination and will be given detailed feedback from the lecturers.

The course consists of:

Day 1: Seminar with lectures and debates, where all the lectures are involved.

Day 2: Study circle with presentations by the students of texts representing interdisciplinarity of the lecturers and discussions of themes and texts in plenum.

After the first 2 days, the participants are asked to write a paper that positions their research theoretically and methodically within the field of universal design.

Day 3: Seminar with presentation of papers by the Ph.D.-students, commented by the teachers involved.

Prerequisites: Doing research in engineering, architecture, IT design, service design, sociology, landscape architecture

Working on a PhD project that include perspectives on social sustainability, anti-discrimination or universal design

Basic insight into methodological considerations (quantitative and qualitative)

Learning objectives: Overview of research fields related to universal design, anti-discrimination and social sustainability.

Insight into theoretical and methodological approaches to research within the field

Form of evaluation:

·         Attendance and participation in all activities  

·         Submission of a paper, that positions their research and reflects the discussions on theory and methods within the field of universal design

Key literature: TBA

Organizer: Associate professor/senior researcher Anne Kathrine Frandsen  

Lecturers: Anne Kathrine Frandsen, Associate professor/Senior researcher, BUILD AAU

Eva Brandt, Docent in Design at KEA - Copenhagen School of Design and Technology

Ulrika Stigsdotter, Professor, Institut for Geovidenskab og Naturforvaltning, KU

Masashi Kajita, Associate professor, Det Kongelige Akademi

Thomas Bredgaard, Professor, Institut for Politik og Samfund, AAU

Thomas Skovgaard, Professor, Institut for Idræt og Biomekanik, SDU

ECTS: 3

Time: 13, 14 May & 16 June, 2025

Place: Aalborg University

Zip code: 9220

City: Aalborg

Maximal number of participants: TBA

Deadline: 22 April 2025