Education of Communication, Philosophy, Technology and Education

The section Communication, Philosophy, Technology and Education (CPTE) provides education for Bachelor, Master and PhD students of Wageningen UR and other universities. Professionals are also welcome to participate in our education. CPTE offers courses and supervises theses and internships (for WUR students only).
Theses and internships
CPTE supervises Bachelor, Master and PhD students when they work on their thesis or do an internship. You can either develop your own topic or find an internship position on your own. Another way is to select an available internship position or thesis topic provided by CPTE. Please note that your thesis topic must always be approved by your thesis supervisor and the internship position must be approved by the education coordinator. Check the available topics on our Brightspace page (for WUR students only).
Courses
CPTE facilitates more than 50 introductory and advanced courses in various social science and life science programmes. In our education we aim to enhance understanding on the processes that may foster bridging between people that live in different ‘worlds’. In our courses students learn to develop new forms of dialogue and persuasive communication, analyse and clarify key values and arguments, and to contribute to strategies for inclusive development and responsible innovation. Students learn about analytical and practical approaches through real-life cases and experiences. This helps them to become professionals that can link theory and practice, connect different worlds and contribute to change.
Courses
- CPT 10806 – Social Psychology
- CPT 12306 – Introduction to Strategic Communication
- CPT 21304 – Introduction to Technology, Agro-ecology and Development
- CPT 23804 – Introduction to Communication and Innovation Studies
- CPT 25306 – Research Methods for Communication Sciences
- CPT 33806 – Advanced Communication Science
- CPT 38006 – Science Communication 2.0: Dialogue and Transdisciplinarity
- CPT 56306 – Analysing Discourse: Theories, Methods and Techniques
- CPT 57003 – Food Ethics: Habits, Moral Choices, Worldviews
- CPT 57302 – Food Security and Sustainability: Food Access
- CPT 65000 – Applied Ethics
- CPT 12806 - Communication Theory
- CPT 15303 - Science, Technology and Society
- CPT 15806 - Philosophy of Communication and Society
- CPT 22306 - Communicating for Sustainability and Responsible Innovation
- CPT 22806 - Innovation and Transformation
- CPT 23306 - Persuasion in Consumer Communication for Sustainability
- CPT 25806 - Tourism Development and Planning
- CPT 37306 - Politics of Knowledge and Inclusive Innovation
- CPT 56806 - Embodiment, Food and Environment
- CPT 57003 - Food and Agricultural Ethics: Habits, Moral Choices, Worldviews
- CPT 57302 - Food Security and sustainability: Food Access
- CPT 58306 - African Philosophy
- CPT 16303 - Communication and Technology
- CPT 25806 - Tourism Development & Planning
- CPT 26306 - Cross-Cultural Studies
- CPT 35306 - Communication and Organisations
- CPT 37806 - Researching Socio-Technical Practices, Innovation and Responsible Futures
- CPT 55403 - Intercultural Perspectives: Moral Status of Animals and Humans
- CPT 57302 - Food Security and Sustainability: Food Access
- CPT 60306 - Facilitating Interactive Processes
- CPT 24306 - Risk Communication
- CPT 26306 - Cross-cultural Studies
- CPT 30806 - Social Justice, Technology and Development
- HSO 32303 - Data Types for Health Promotion
- CPT 35806 - Intercultural Communication
- CPT 36806 - Critical Reflection on Research in International Development Practice
- CPT 55206 - Philosophical Reflection on Science, Society and the Good Life
- CPT 56006 - Introduction to Global One Health
- CPT 57302 - Food Security and Sustainability: Food Access
- CPT 57802 - Institutions and Societal Transformation
- CPT 58802 - Visual Research Methods
- YSS 60806 - Cutting Edge Issues in Development and Rural Innovation
- CPT 10303 - Ethics and Philosophy for Biologists
- CPT 11806 - Technology, Development and Natural Resources
- CPT 14306 - Life Sciences for Communication Scientists
- CPT 21806 - Communication, Power and Politics
- CPT 22806 - Innovation and Transformation
- CPT 26306 - Cross-cultural Studies
- CPT 32306 - Interventions for Health Behaviour Change
- CPT 32806 - Change, Inter-human Processes and Communication
- CPT 33306 - Communication Strategies in Everyday Life
- CPT 37806 - Researching Socio-Technical Practices, Innovation and Futures
- CPT 53806 - Internet-based Communication and Learning for Social Change
- CPT 55503 - Philosophical Skills
- CPT 55806 - Introduction in Philosophy
- CPT 57302 - Food Security and Sustainability: Food Access
- CPT 58802 - Visual Research Methods
- CPT 65000 - Applied Ethics
- CPT 65100 - Knowledge Hurts
- YSS 60806 - Cutting Edge Issues in Development and Rural Innovation
- CPT 13306 - Designing Communication Interventions
- CPT 13806 - Ethics, Health and Society (in Dutch)
- CPT 26306 - Cross-cultural Studies
- CPT 30503 - Data Science Ethics
- CPT 56802 - Embodiment, Food and Environment
- CPT 57302 - Food Security and Sustainability: Food Access
- YSS 60806 - Cutting Edge Issues in Development and Rural Innovation
- CPT 57302 - Food Security and Sustainability: Food Access
Minors
The advanced BSc Minor Communication, Research and Practice deals with several aspects of the relation between scientific research and communication practice. In their future work, many students with a life science or social science background will be confronted with societal responses to research findings, the setting of research agenda’s in support of societal innovation, and the design of communication research as a preparation for communication planning. In this minor students come to grips with the different ways in which communication can relate to research.
Risk communication
CPT-24306 | period 4 | whole day | compulsory course
Research for Effective Communication
CPT-34806 | period 5 | morning | compulsory course
Designing Communication Interventions
CPT-13306 | period 6 | morning | compulsory course
Innovation and Transformation
CPT-22806 | period 5 | afternoon | restricted optional course 1
Internet-based Communication and Learning for Social Change
CPT-53806 | period 5 | afternoon | restricted optional course 1
The BSc Minor Communication for Change gives students a comprehensive introduction to the interdisciplinary field of applied communication sciences. After a general introduction, the BSc minor offers basic insight in social psychological mechanisms and offers specialised courses to zoom in first on communication and individual change, and later on communication and organisational change.
Communication and Persuasion
CPT-23306 | period 2 | morning | compulsory course
Communication and Organisations
CPT-35306 | period 3 | whole day | compulsory course
Social Psychology
MCB-10806 | period 1 | afternoon | restricted optional course 1
Introduction to Strategic Communication
CPT-12306 | period 1 | morning | restricted optional course 1
Communication Theory
CPT-12806 | period 2 | afternoon | restricted optional course 1
This BSc minor provides students with an in-depth understanding of multiple social and bio-physical environmental determinants of health, and their interaction at the individual, local and global level. The BSc minor combines expertise from health psychology, social psychology, health promotion, epidemiology and communication. Overall, the BSc minor aims to give students insight into the multiple causes of and solutions for health issues, to understand the interdependence of the causes and teach them how to address problems through health promotion actions, strategic communication and policy.
Introduction to Strategic Communication
CPT-12306 | period 1 | morning | compulsory course
Environmental Assets for Health
HSO-20306 | period 2 | morning | compulsory course
Health Psychology
HSO-20806 | period 3 | whole day | compulsory course
Introduction to Epidemiology and Public Health
HNE-24806 | period 1 | afternoon | restricted optional course 1
Social Psychology
MCB-10806 | period 1 | afternoon | restricted optional course 1
Communication Theory
CPT-12806 | period 2 | afternoon | restricted optional course
Philosophy literally means: love of wisdom, but we see it first and foremost as asking and exploring very basic questions: about what knowledge is and how to attain it, about our relationship to the world, and about how we should live. In philosophy, it is common to ask questions about things we normally just take for granted. Does the world exist? Can we trust our senses? Can we have knowledge about what is right or wrong? What is happiness? It is a bit like children who can continue asking "why is that so?" This might sound silly sometimes, but it can also lead to new insights. Wisdom is maybe not to know a lot, but, much more, to be aware of the limitations of what one can know. And we can find those limits only by continuing to ask questions.
Philosophy is not always abstract and theoretical, it can be very practical. For example when we try to to give good ethical reasons for choices we should make, in policy or in private life. Can it be justified for the government to require parents to have their children vaccinated? Is it right to kill animals for food? Do we have obligations to future generations, if it comes to reducing climate change? These questions require careful reflection and analysis. But they also raise deep controversies and conflicting views. Can systematic thinking help overcoming such conflicts?
In the minor we do not only study and discuss ethical and philosophical themes. We also practice specific ways of reasoning, with the aim to develop skills in critical thinking. This includes, for example, argumentation analysis and thought experiments, but also specific forms of deliberation, such as Socratic dialogue. Students interested in philosophy or applied ethics can deepen their skills in critical reflection, acquire a broader understanding of philosophical traditions, and engage in ethical analysis of societal problems in the Wageningen domain that (includes but also) goes beyond the specific domain of their own study program.
Philosophical reflection
CPT-55206 | Period 5 | afternoon | compulsory course
Philosophical Skills
CPT-55503 | period 4 | whole day | compulsory course
Ethics, Health and Society
CPT-13806 | Period 5 | afternoon | compulsory course
Data Science Ethics
CPT-30503 | Period 6 | afternoon | compulsory course
Current Ethical Controversies
CPT-55303 | Period 6 | afternoon | compulsory course
Ethics and Philosophy for Biologists
CPT-10303 | Period 5 | afternoon | restricted choice
Response & Reflection in Molecular Life Science
YML20303 | Period 5 | afternoon | restricted choice
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