2005 Press Releases

02 Sep 2005

UCC hosts the 4th Occupation UK and Ireland Occupational Science Symposium, 8-9 September



In recognition of Cork's designation as European Capital of Culture 2005, the Department of Occupational Therapy, University College Cork will host the 4th Occupation UK and Ireland Occupational Science Symposium on 8-9 September next. Leading national and international speakers will gather at UCC's new Brookfield Health Sciences Complex. Participants and delegates include students, educators, practitioners and researchers from New Zealand, the USA, England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Holland and Belgium.

The Symposium will explore the theme of 'Culture and Health: An Occupational Perspective' and bring together clinicians, researchers and educators in Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy and those with an interest in understanding and enhancing the health and well-being of people across cultures.   Topics being covered include: the cultural dynamics of health, occupational justice, occupational perspectives on living with HIV infection, homelessness, mental illness, adolescent lifestyles, head injury and sexual identity. Cultural awareness in health education and the delivery of culturally sensitive interventions in an increasingly diverse and complex world will also be discussed.

Occupational Therapy is a profession concerned with promoting health and well-being through occupation. The primary goal of occupational therapy is to enable people to participate in the activities of everyday life. In recent years, the new scientific discipline of Occupational Science has emerged, which is defined as 'the study of the human as an occupational being'. Occupational science research seeks to understand how people can achieve a healthful balance of daily occupations in the context of the increasingly time pressured and demanding nature of life in the 21st century.

This is the first ever Occupational Science event in Ireland.  There are now Occupational Science societies and educational programmes across the world including Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Ground-breaking interdisciplinary Occupational Science research is securing significant research funding and is increasingly demonstrating Occupational Science's ability to produce new knowledge that can significantly benefit health and well-being.

The symposium takes place on 8-9 September in the new Brookfield Health Sciences Complex, UCC.  Anyone interested in attending should contact Kerry Murphy, Symposium Secretary on 021 4901569. Information is also available at www.ucc.ie/conf/cultureandhealth



MMcS110


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