Number of credits: 5 or 7.5 hp

Course description: The purpose of the course is to give the student a broadened knowledge of current state-of-the-art research in nanoscience and adjacent areas. It also entails critical review of scientific work that is outside of the student’s own field of research.

The course is connected to seminar series at NanoLund, such as Nanoscience Colloquia, and other seminars (approved by examiner). When prominent researchers are invited to talk, suitable publications are selected for review and discussion by the participants of the course before the talk. The selected publications are read individually by the participants of the course and all the participants formulate questions to ask at the seminar based on their review. The publications will be discussed in a group setting before the seminar and the seminar host will be invited to this discussion. In connection with all the seminars in the course, a half-hour discussion meeting between the participants and the invited speaker is booked. For an extended course, relevant nanoscience research or course literature is studied to an extent equivalent of 2.5 hp (that is, about 1.5 weeks of full-time studies). This literature is chosen in consultation with the PhD student’s supervisor.

For each seminar a suitable selection of publications is performed by the seminar host and these are distributed to the current students. The group of students should:

• Read the material thoroughly individually and discuss it under supervision in a group setting with the other participants.
• Have prepared questions to the invited speaker.
• Be actively involved in the discussion meeting with the invited speakers (about half an hour in connection with the seminar)

Examination: The course is completed if during its course a student taking it has:

• Prepared for a minimum of 8 seminars by reading the literature (one or more articles) identified by the seminar host and written down at least 3 questions to be asked at a seminar occasion or during the discussion meetings in connection to the seminars. At least four of these seminars should be outside of the PhD student’s own area of research.
• Posed at least four questions to invited speakers during the course, with active involvement in the preparatory group meetings and discussion meetings connected to these seminars.
• Been present for at least 14 seminars, including the 8 which require preparation.
• For extended course, the contents of the studied literature must have been discussed with the supervisor.

Course responsible and examiner: Jonas Johansson

Sign up for the course by sending an email to Jonas Johansson: Jonas.Johansson@ftf.lth.se