This project establishes an interfaculty virtual knowledge platform for interdisciplinary education (IE) that consolidates and strengthens the outcomes of interdisciplinary initiatives UU-wide. The platform facilitates educators by serving as source of support for interdisciplinary teaching, makes opportunities for interdisciplinary learning visible to students and their advisors, and disseminates knowledge about outcomes of interdisciplinary education at UU and beyond.

Background

The complex challenges currently facing global society highlight the need for academically trained experts who can work effectively towards solutions in interdisciplinary contexts. Universities are thus challenged with fostering the relevant skills and optimally equipping graduates for their professional future in the 21^st Century world. The proposal is very much in line with the UU and University College Utrecht (UCU) strategic plans, in which interdisciplinary education features prominently as a means to better prepare our students to take up key roles in society after graduation. Within UU there are multiple initiatives on this already, this proposal aims to take the next step: bring together UU-wide expertise to create a virtual knowledge platform for interdisciplinary education where students, teachers and advisors can go. For UCU, being at the centre of such a project will have the additional benefit of strengthening the ties with the faculties on this topic.

Project description

Three areas of opportunity identified are:

• Understanding interdisciplinary skills
• Facilitating educators
• Engaging students

The project draws on the diverse forms of IE and support for interdisciplinary teaching at UU, and by strengthening and catalysing the connections between these. It involves efforts that contribute to a clearer overview and a deeper understanding of IE in different contexts at UU, generating insights that can strengthen the platform itself and UU’s IE vision.

Goals

This project aims to realise an UU-wide virtual knowledge platform for interdisciplinary education: the UU Interdisciplinary Education Platform (IEP). The proposed IEP will address the areas of attention identified above by

1. Disseminating knowledge that can strengthen UU interdisciplinary education;
2. Serving as a central resource for educators engaging with IE; and
3. Promoting IE for students and their advisors.

Expected results

The goal of IEP is to provide a central platform for interdisciplinary education in order to consolidate existing knowledge and experience. This lays a foundation for new developments and insights that contribute to the UU-wide vision on IE, stronger interdisciplinary teaching, and SoTL on IE initiatives. We expect:

More information

• Special Interest Group (SIG) on Interdisciplinarity