Program Overview

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Program Overview

The Micro-credential: Beginnend en Eindigend Leven (Beginning and End of Life) is a postgraduate program offered by the University of Antwerp. This program is part of the Postgraduaat in Gezondheidsrecht en Gezondheidsethiek (Postgraduate in Health Law and Health Ethics).

Program Details

• Study Load: 3 study points
• Language of Instruction: Dutch
• Location: Campus Drie Eiken
• Faculty: Faculty of Law in collaboration with Nexus
• Teaching Method: Alternate online and physical classes
  • Tuesday evening classes (18:30 - 21:30) are online
  • Saturday morning classes (9:00 - 13:00) are physical and take place at Campus Drie Eiken
• Recordings: All classes are recorded
• Minimum and Maximum Participants: Minimum of 26, maximum of 40 participants
• Program Frequency: The program is organized every two years, starting in even academic years

Course Content

Beginnend Leven (Beginning of Life)

This part of the program covers various aspects of the beginning of life, including:

• Medically assisted reproduction techniques
• Conditions under which these techniques are allowed
• The issue of surrogate motherhood
• The status of the embryo, including research on embryos in vitro, social freezing, and new techniques
• Legislation on abortion, approached from legal, medical, and ethical perspectives

Levenseindebeslissingen en Wilsverklaringen (End-of-Life Decisions and Advance Directives)

This section extensively covers end-of-life decisions, including:

• Life termination without request
• Euthanasia
• Assisted suicide
• Pain management with possible life-shortening effect
• Palliative sedation
• Stopping or not starting treatments
• Palliative care
• These decisions are approached from various legal disciplines and bioethics, with applications to specific patient categories

Overlijden en Statuut van het Lijk (Death and the Status of the Corpse)

This part deals with the status of the corpse, covering:

• Criteria for determining death
• The process of death declaration
• Cases where an autopsy can be performed
• Permitted forms of corpse disposal (burial, cremation, etc.)

Learning Objectives

The program aims to provide participants with:

• In-depth, scientifically grounded, and practice-oriented knowledge of the law regarding medically assisted reproduction and abortion
• Knowledge of the law concerning end-of-life decisions and advance directives
• Understanding of the law regarding death and the status of the corpse
• Ability to assimilate new and evolving legal rules within the field
• Insight into the regulation and the ability to distinguish between different end-of-life decisions
• A critical attitude towards the law in these areas

Lecturers

The program is coordinated by Evelien Delbeke, with guest lecturers contributing their rich professional experience, ensuring a high-quality, university-level education.

Attendance, Evaluation, and Certificate

• Attendance: A minimum of 50% attendance is required to participate in the final evaluation
• Evaluation: Participants can choose between writing a paper or taking an exam
• Certificate: Awarded upon sufficient attendance and passing the evaluation

Additional Study Activities

The AHLEC chair organizes additional study activities, which may be mandatory for micro-credential students as part of their program. Participation is free, but registration is required.