Peter Furu

Peter Furu

MSc, MPH

  • Postboks 2099, Øster Farimagsgade 5 opg. B, 09-1-15

    1014 København K

    Denmark

  • Source: Scopus
1985 …2024

Research activity per year

Personal profile

Short presentation

My professional background since 1983 includes activities in >25 countries (in Africa, South East Asia, Middle East, Central America) and Denmark. Key areas within a global health context comprise higher education/training, knowledge management, consultancies and research on topics such as:

  • Planetary health
  • Health impact assessment (HIA)
  • Health related aspects of agricultural development and water resources development
  • Health impacts of climate change
  • Integrated schistosomiasis control
  • Sustainable tourism
  • Research management and leadership

 

UCPH educational responsibilities

Master of Disaster Management (MDMa): Lecturer and thesis supervisor

Master of Disaster Management (MDMa): Disaster Risk Management - From theory to practice: Lecturer

Master of Disaster Management (MDMa): Shelter and Settlements in Disasters: Course leader

Master of Disaster Management (MDMa): Research Methodology and Ethics: Course facilitator 

Master of Science in Global Health (MScGH): Planetary Health Dynamics: Course Leader, lecturer 

Master of Science in Climate Change (MScCC):  Climate Change Impact, Adaptation and Mitigation: Climate change and health: E-learning lecturer and facilitator 

Master of Science in Public Health: Global health: Lecturer

Master of Science in Public Health: "Miljø og bæredygtighed": Klima, sundhed og beredskab: Lecturer

Master of Public Health: "Forebyggelse og social ulighed i sundhed": Sundhedskonsekvensvurderinger (Health Impact Assessment): Lecturer

Bachelor of Medicin: Thesis supervisor

PhD Course on "Research Management and Leadership": Course Leader and lecturer (currently discontinued)

PhD Course on "Degrowth and Socioecological Justice", Lecturer

 

MOOCs

Coursera: Introduction to Global Health: "Health Impacts of Climate Change"

CV

Education

  • Master of Public Health (MPH) 2003, Nordic School of Public Health, Gothenburg, Sweden
  • Diploma of Public Health (DPH) 1997, Nordic School of Public Health, Gothenburg, Sweden
  • Master of Science (MSc) Biology 1984, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Employment record:

  • Associate Professor, Global Health Section, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen (2015 - )
  • Director of Studies (Master of Disaster Management), Global Health Section, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen (2014 - )
  • Senior Adviser, International Health Section, Department of International Health, Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen (2012-2014)
  • Senior Adviser, Environmental Health and Health Impact Assessment, DBL-Centre for Health Research and Development, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen (DBL was formerly the Danish Bilharziasis Laboratory)) (1984-2012)
  • Head – WHO Collaborating Centre for Health and Environment in Sustainable Development at DBL (1998-2012)
  • Guest Lecturer at University of Aalborg, Denmark (2003-2011) and University of Southern Denmark (2006-2009)
  • Guest Lecturer at the Nordic School of Public Health, Gothenburg, Sweden, (1992-2002)
  • External Examiner (censor) in “International Health” and "Disaster Management" at Danish universities appointed by the Danish Ministry of Science and Technology (2002-2022)

Research and Knowledge Management

  • Author or co-author of a total of 163 publications (including scientific reports, book, book chapters, peer-reviewed papers and abstracts, etc.)
  • Comprehensive management experience – e.g. as Head of "WHO Collaborating Centre on Health and Environment in Sustainable Development"; FP6 Coordination Action Work Package leader; Research programme supervisor. Principal Investigator (EnSuZa, Tanzania; SCHIMDA, Malawi)
  • Participated in more than 70 national and international workshops and conferences (international health, environmental health, health impact assessment, water) many as oral presenter, chairperson, organizer, key-note speaker and panel member.
  • Participated in a number of consultancies for e.g. Danida, World Bank, World Health Organization. Member or fomer member of a number of professional societies including the International Association for Impact Assessment; the International Association for Ecology and Health; the Danish Development Research Network and the Danish Water Forum. Member of the Climate Panel of the Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen and the expert panel of University of Copenhagen (climate change and health). Referee/reviewer at several scientific, international journals.

Capacity building / Teaching

  • Head of Studies (Master of Disaster Management), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, UCPH
  • Organizer and Course Director of more than 25 training courses in Africa and South East Asia and Denmark; Main focus has been on research management issues, health impact assessment and schistosomiasis control.
  • Taught >15 courses on “Research methodology” in Denmark and Africa with emphasis on research proposal development, research objective development and knowledge management.
  • Taught more than 50 courses on aspects of climate change and health, environmental health, vector borne diseases, and health impact assessment (HIA) mostly at the level of government authorities in developing countries and at universities in Denmark and abroad. Use of modern learning approaches like problem-based learning and e-learning. A comprehensive capacity development initiative on HIA covering Lao PDR, Vietnam and Cambodia has recently been completed. It comprised training courses, e-learning course development, policy formulations and development of technical guidelines.
  • Comprehensive teaching experience and research supervision at Danish and international universities including supervision of 40+ Bachelor, Master and PhD students. Certified in teaching English-medium courses (UCPH, 2011).

 

Primary fields of research

Environmental health, sustainable tourism, health impact assessment

Keywords

  • Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
  • Global Health
  • Health Impact Assessment
  • Environmental health
  • Climate change and health
  • Parasitology
  • E-learning
  • Research management
  • Sustainable tourism
  • Planetary health

Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or