Creative

The opportunity for transdisciplinary study is offered across all programmes.

The great challenges that face the world require a transdisciplinary approach that “transgresses the boundaries between scientific disciplines and between science and other societal fields and includes deliberation of facts, practices and values” (Wiesmann et al in Handbook of Transdisciplinary Research, Hadorn et al 2008).

Future success therefore does not rely only on possessing information, but on the ability to understand a diversity of views and expertise, and to mobilise knowledge in meaningful, purposeful and reflective ways to bring about societal change. The experience of transdisciplinary working will develop professional values, attitudes and capabilities that are needed to successfully navigate professional life in the 21st century.

The cross-fertilisation of ideas and knowledge will broaden perspectives, promote enriched understanding and trigger imaginative and innovative solutions. The ability to work in teams that cross disciplinary boundaries is highly valued by employers, and we will provide all students with the opportunity to develop innovation literacy by working with peers from different disciplines on complex, real-world problems evaluated within the context of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Actions and Priorities

What are we trying to achieve?

The opportunity for all students to engage in learning and activities that cross disciplinary boundaries; enriching understanding, encouraging creativity and fostering the innovative collaboration required to solve complex real-world problems and bring about societal change.

Why?

We want to stretch and challenge our students so that they develop the capabilities, attributes and professional values required to positively impact their own and others’ lives.

Progress in 2021/2022

We now have a good overview of the range of curricular and extra-curricular activities that support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and more importantly suggestions for how we can develop a coordinated, institutional approach. This work will be formalised into the University’s ‘Learning and Teaching Sustainability Working Group’ from September 2022.

We successfully piloted the transdisciplinary ‘Solutions Futures’ module where students across different disciplines and levels collaborated on a live industry challenge as an extra-curricular activity. Some operational challenges remain to be solved before it can be offered as an optional module within the curriculum.

Achievement: BASc Global Challenges programme a Green Gown Award 2022 finalist

Our priorities for 2022/2023

Develop a training programme for ‘Education for Sustainable Development’ to prepare for implementation of the revised Subject Benchmark Statements
Formalise the recognition of extracurricular activities for credit
Resolve operational timetabling constraints related to offering a University-wide transdisciplinary module