Interdisciplinary learning and research

Find out how to work across multiple academic disciplines in higher education, in order to pool expertise and develop novel skillsets and solutions to complex problems. These guides offer insight on how to break down disciplinary boundaries in university teaching and research to seek greater understanding.

Illustration of people in silhouette with cityscape

Harnessing the humanities for transformative tech leadership

Amid a growing awareness that humanities students and faculty need data literacy, Rishi Jaitly, a longstanding champion of the humanities in technology, explains why data and technology leaders also need an education in the liberal arts

Rishi Jaitly

Virginia Tech

Interdisciplinarity is a core part of AI’s heritage and its future

To train students to engage responsibly with artificial intelligence, a genuinely interdisciplinary perspective – from the language used to recognising that human and machine work in concert – is essential, write Elvin Lim and Jonathan Chase

Elvin Lim , Jonathan Chase

Singapore Management University

Advice on fostering interdisciplinary learning in large scale doctoral programmes

Fostering interdisciplinary learning in large-scale doctoral programmes

Corina Sas highlights key insights for design and delivery of large-scale doctoral training programmes that foster supportive and cooperative interdisciplinary learning environments

Corina Sas

Lancaster University

How business schools could lead the charge to revive faith in higher education

As US higher education faces a drop in student numbers, business schools could help transform universities into the cross-disciplinary experiential learning hubs needed today, write Ahmad Al Asady and Siri Terjesen

Ahmad Al Asady, Siri Terjesen

North Dakota State University, Florida Atlantic University

Illustration of two men in shirt and ties shaking hands over jigsaw speech bubble

How can we measure interdisciplinary learning?

A benchmark of success for interdisciplinary learning is graduates who have the flexibility to examine their areas of interest and develop attributes that deliver practical value to future employers

Elvin Lim , Daniel Seah

Singapore Management University

Poetry can be used in many classes at university

Poetry is a door into many disciplines, not just a literary one

A poem can act as a memory aid, ground facts in individual experience and prompt questions about policy, power and generational impact, says Pádraig Ó Tuama

Pádraig Ó Tuama

Poetry Unbound

Young researchers work together on a green city project

Building blocks of university-industry partnerships for positive change

How universities can develop strategic cross-sector partnerships and trans-disciplinary research in order to boost progress towards the SDGs

Tim Bodley-Scott, Ersel Oymak

UCL

A female and male researcher conducting interdisciplinary research

How to encourage gender equity in interdisciplinary research

A study into gender balances of interdisciplinary research teams shows that the presence of women is beneficial up to a point. Elisabeth Browning suggests ways funders and institutions can encourage their participation

Elisabeth Browning

Elsevier

Inter-faculty working brings students together

Building the future: the case for inter-faculty learning

Launching an innovative inter-faculty way of working has brought great benefit to students, especially in the post-Covid period, say Gemma Ahearne and Matt Murphy

Gemma Ahearne, Matt Murphy

University of Liverpool

Advice on effective communication for international collaborations

Clear communication as the key to international collaboration

The success of international research collaborations rests upon clear communication, writes Marian Brady as she offers advice on what this involves in practice

Marian Brady

Glasgow Caledonian University

Augmented reality in teaching: key challenges and how to overcome them

Will Shüler identifies three challenges of integrating augmented reality into the classroom and shares advice on how university tutors might navigate them

Will Shüler

Royal Holloway, University of London

Hands linked to show networks and collaboration

Doctoral training programmes: worthwhile or not?

If the chance to work with gifted people and across unfamiliar disciplines appeals, a doctoral training programme could be for you, whether you’re a student or an academic

Graham Huggan

University of Leeds

Advice on overseeing new curriculum development based on the general education reforms in Hong Kong

Seven lessons from interdisciplinary general education curriculum reform

Adrian Lam highlights lessons drawn from the implementation of interdisciplinary general education curriculum reform in Hong Kong universities

Adrian Man-Ho Lam

The University of Hong Kong

An online meeting. University professors and lecturers need to learn to work together online in the new normal

Eight essential tips for remote interdisciplinary teamwork

Rocío Elizabeth Cortez Márquez and Elia Esther Mendoza Carabeo give advice on making interdisciplinary teams work online

Rocío Elizabeth Cortez Márquez , Elia Esther Mendoza Carabeo

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Fostering interdisciplinary thinking in students is a great idea for universities

How to lay the groundwork for interdisciplinarity in students

Recent events have shown the necessity of working together, and it’s never too early for universities, faculty and students to begin thinking about this, says Georgina Harris

Georgina Harris

Arden University

Advice on applying action learning to student surveys to improve teaching practices

Using action learning to improve interdisciplinary online teaching

A guide to using action learning – questioning knowledge to find solutions – to evaluate and improve teaching practices, based on research by Na Li, Qian Wang, Jiajun Liu and Victoria Marsick

Na Li, Qian Wang , Jiajun Liu, Victoria Marsick

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University , Columbia University

Creating an interdisciplinary team at research universities is just like playing a fantasy role-playing game

Why interdisciplinarity is just like a fantasy role-playing game

Who’s the barbarian? Which one’s the wizard? Lorena Quilantán García offers practical advice on embarking upon your very own interdisciplinary hero quest

Lorena Quilantán García

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Advice on working with students to develop a well-being module that educates them in mental health and self-care

Co-creating an interdisciplinary well-being module for all students

Elena Riva and Wiki Jeglinska explain how academics can work with students to co-create well-being modules that span multiple disciplines and support students’ self-care, drawing on their own experience of collaborating on such a scheme

Elena Riva, Wiki Jeglinska

The University of Warwick

Advice on designing university curricula that nurture creativity

How to embed creativity more fully into university curricula

Five key strategies to enhance student creativity through university curricula that encourage exploration and enquiry

Gareth Loudon

Royal College of Art

Advice on establishing creative collaborations between students in different disciplines to further their learning

Connecting research and humanities through creative collaborations

Creative collaborations between students in different disciplines can offer opportunities to gain “real world” experience and apply their knowledge in new contexts. Allison Schwartz explains how

Allison Schwartz

University of West Florida

How Southampton University supported staff across all departments to design quality online courses

How to support staff across all departments to design quality online courses

The sudden shift to online forced university staff to rethink and redesign classes often with little experience or knowledge of remote teaching. Helen Carmichael and Bobbi Moore explain how the University of Southampton supported all faculties to ensure high-quality online courses

Helen Carmichael, Bobbi Moore

University of Southampton

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