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.

Mixed group of medical students around instructor holding 3D model of the heart

Good medicine: tackling global health inequalities with cross-border student research

North/south collaborations teach the intercultural communication and joint working skills essential for addressing the challenges of a complex world. Here are key principles to help get such projects going

Nephtali Marina-Gonzalez, Peter Snow, Olutayo Ifedayo Ajayi

UCL, University of Global Health Equity

Young Asian female graduate in job interview

How universities can help students translate their skills for employers

A shared language for skills can help students identify the transferable capabilities they are accruing in their studies and present their relevant experiences confidently to employers

Sarah Armour, Harriet Smith

University of Glasgow, Russell Group

Three researchers in casual clothing at a lake take water sample

Collaboration is not optional – and conservation science shows why

Today’s research challenges are too complex to be solved in isolation. Conservation science offers lessons for academics everywhere about how to build collaborations that genuinely work

Robert Cooper

Virginia Tech

Man typing at laptop with sustainability symbols surrounding it

How funding processes and cross-discipline connections can support more sustainable research practices

Universities could embed and improve sustainability throughout the research cycle, including funding requirements, guidance and policy. Here, three academics reflect on a project that aimed to use funding as a driver of change

Ava Lorenc, Anne-Laure Donskoy, Matthew Fackrell

The University of Bristol

Everyone loves interdisciplinary research, but no one wants to fund it

Higher education talks a lot about interdisciplinary research, but finding funding is still an uphill struggle. Lindell Bromham offers a solution

Lindell Bromham

Australian National University

The best interdisciplinary research begins long before the first experiment

Investment in relationships, humility and shared purpose creates the conditions where breakthrough science can flourish, argues Jacob Barney

Jacob Barney

Virginia Tech

Where the Nile’s waters meet: creating value through interdisciplinarity and collaboration

Effective interdisciplinary collaboration hinges on four principles: focusing on the problem, understanding how disciplines interact, fostering relationships and recognising power dynamics, writes Ben Kei Daniel

Ben Kei Daniel

University of Northern British Columbia

Jon Batiste at NYU Skirball for the launch of the Jameel Arts & Health Lab-Lancet Global Collection on Arts and Health

What the movement to integrate the arts and health can teach us about making research matter

Moving research into action requires more than publishing evidence. Stories, images, trusted messengers and examples of uptake can build public acceptance, shift what people see as possible and help evidence become practice and policy

Nisha Sajnani

New York University

Research staff in a library working on a digital huimanities project

How to build a sustainable digital humanities ecosystem

Digital humanities is about more than adopting new technologies. It depends on bringing people, expertise and ideas together – and creating the structures to help them thrive, says Mara Oliva

Mara Oliva

University of Reading

Team meeting with lightbulb in foreground

Don’t just assemble an interdisciplinary research team, design one

Being intentional about collaboration across fields results in a more responsive, open and effective research project. Seyedahmad Rahimi shares advice for ensuring the right people are working together in the right way

Seyedahmad Rahimi

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

Three people working in an industrial design studio

‘Collaboration is not a slogan or aspiration but a deliberate educational practice’

Higher education leaders often praise interdisciplinary collaboration, but their systems make it difficult to achieve. For innovation to flourish, universities must teach students and faculty to work across disciplines – and differences

Lu Liu

Virginia Tech

How to foster an open research culture

Guidance on establishing a culture of collaboration and transparency in research

Campus contributors, Kiera O’Brien

Campus

The interdisciplinary benefits of navigating a medical PhD as an engineer

Crossing disciplinary boundaries can be challenging, but an engineering mindset can bring fresh solutions to clinical challenges. Bendegúz Juhos explores how to bridge the gap, use open access to researchers’ benefit and find support to innovate

Bendegúz Juhos

Semmelweis University

How to make interdisciplinary teaching a reality

While disciplinary expertise remains important, future graduates will increasingly need broader capabilities to cope with uncertainty and change. Lei Zeng offers advice on how to develop them

Lei Zeng

The University of Manchester

Researchers use a transparent tablet together

Open research by principle, not by checklist

Think of open research as an overarching commitment to transparency, running through every stage of the process, rather than options to be ticked off. Here’s how

Alice Howarth

University of Sheffield, UK Reproducibility Network (UKRN)

A group of students discussing an interdisciplinary project at a table

Three ways to foster an interdisciplinary mindset in students

Interdisciplinarity can feel vague and abstract. Read guidance on helping students understand how concepts are defined and how approaches to problems differ across disciplines

Adrian Man-Ho Lam

The University of Hong Kong

Researchers work together over a microscope

Bridge the gap between university knowledge and societal challenges

Let’s build a culture where local communities can benefit from ground-breaking research. Here’s how a funding programme helped develop research aligned with the SDGs

Laura Salinas

Universidad Austral

Female architect looking at plans on site

‘Success in academia needs a metric for how scholarship improves lives’

If we want universities to address society’s greatest challenges, we should ask ourselves how our work makes the world better in tangible, measurable ways. Bobby Vance explains how this question has shaped his career

Bobby Vance

Virginia Tech

Students work together in a lecture hall

Co-creation from a student’s perspective

Despite its reputation for embedding autonomy and collaboration skills, for students, co-creation can feel like a box-ticking exercise. Find five practical steps for making it a genuine partnership

Ava Doherty

University of Oxford

A team of coders brainstorming in front of a large code-filled screen

How a university coding competition develops future skills

How to create a pressure cooker environment that forces rapid problem-solving and collaboration among students from different disciplines

Oğuz Şentürk

Istanbul Aydin University

Digital heart among locks, ones and zeros on keyboard

‘Higher education needs more of the empathetic mindset’

Empathy, listening and imagination must remain central to how we educate future leaders, writes Lu Liu. The human qualities that make innovation meaningful are at risk when universities over-emphasise technical capability

Lu Liu

Virginia Tech

To get started with interdisciplinarity, ask: what’s the problem?

Interdisciplinarity can often be treated as an institutional side project. But embedding it into university structures can change everything. Here’s how

Yuzhuo Cai

The Education University of Hong Kong

Katy Börner talks about collaborative research on this week's podcast.

Campus Talks: Want to think bigger and achieve more? Then collaborate – an academic makes the case for collective research

A data visualisation expert talks about leading the global Human Reference Atlas initiative and how collaboration enables researchers to think far bigger

Katy Börner , Miranda Prynne

Indiana University Bloomington

Why the ‘lone wolf’ principal investigator no longer works in modern academia

Teams that integrate clinical insight and academic enquiry result in better academic outputs, increased researcher well-being and a sense of community and shared ownership

Zoë Walters, Tim Underwood

University of Southampton

How to advance collaboration in higher education

How to advance collaboration across higher education

Practical insights to support effective collaboration across research, teaching and the running of an institution

Campus contributors, Kiera O’Brien

Campus

An illustration of international research collaborations

Juggling competing priorities in research collaborations

Bringing together cross-disciplinary research teams, government and industry on a single project will need strategic management from the beginning. Here’s how

Xiao-Lin Zhao, Chien-Ming Wang

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

What established academics can learn from technical staff

University research runs on the expertise of technicians, research software engineers, data stewards and core‑facility specialists. Treat them as strategic partners and your group’s quality, speed and compliance will improve

Ian D. Williams

University of Southampton

Podcast graphic featuring Lorraine Coghill

Campus Talks: How co-creation and interdisciplinarity enrich university outreach

An expert in science engagement explains why a people-centred approach, curiosity and creativity are key to sharing knowledge with schools and the community in innovative and inspiring ways

Lorraine Coghill, Eliza Compton

Durham University

Colleagues strategise around a whiteboard

Intent: the key to effective and efficient interdisciplinary collaboration

How to make your collaborative projects run smoothly? Plan for it, writes Alina Zare

Alina Zare

University of Florida

Two people looking at code on a computer screen

Collaboration is a skill – here’s how to master it

With practical tools, early career researchers can build productive partnerships that advance their work and withstand the pressures of shrinking budgets and shifting priorities

Rodrigo Pena

Florida Atlantic University

How to divorce your academic discipline

When you fall out of love with your scholarly subject, leaving the silo can mean a painful separation. But with a break-up can also come a chance to rekindle academic passion. Here’s how to get out and move on

Darshan Vigneswaran

University of Amsterdam

How experiential learning can build sustainability skills and spark change

Experiential learning projects that push students outside their disciplinary comfort zones can prompt real-world change. Learn why co-creation, interdisciplinarity and real-world relevance are key

Lory Barile, Bo Kelestyn, Bret Willers

The University of Warwick

Building blocks with student, books and an AI chip

An augmented reality tool for accessible learning

Combining GenAI with simple augmented reality tools offers a practical way to support accessible, adaptable and interdisciplinary learning

Cindy Lam, Sai Kit Yeung, Kenichiro Takei

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Interdisciplinary research cultures are inclusive, not competitive

Research that crosses disciplines strengthens networks, diversifies expertise and moves thinking beyond inherited boundaries, but effective interdisciplinarity takes time, curiosity and willingness to tackle cultural and structural obstacles

Valentina Cardo, Claire Clarkin , Ingrid Slade

University of Southampton

How should universities define AI proficiency?

AI literacy is increasingly seen as fundamental knowledge for students. How can educators set the parameters that ensure proficient use of artificial intelligence across the institution, regardless of discipline? Junghwan Kim offers advice

Junghwan Kim

Virginia Tech

Illustration of puzzled man with hand unlocking keyhole in thought bubble

Guiding doctoral students through research struggles

The PhD path is often paved with ambiguity and rejection. Supervisors need to take a more bespoke, multidisciplinary approach to bring out the best of their doctoral candidates

Robert H. Deng

Singapore Management University

Detail of medic drawing a vaccination shot

Inoculating students against AI-generated scientific misinformation

GenAI raises an urgent pedagogical question for universities: how can we train students to evaluate scientific claims critically when the language of scholarship can be so convincingly simulated?

Elissar Gerges

Zayed University

What established academics can learn from ECRs

Professors can gain immediate, practical benefits if they listen to early career researchers, through inter-generational exchanges such as reverse mentoring. Here, Ian Williams offers five capabilities that ECRs can offer more seasoned scholars

Ian D. Williams

University of Southampton

Science isn’t a solo sport – let’s write accordingly

Generosity in authorship, sharing imperfect drafts and writing daily are academic habits that make research clearer, fairer and more impactful

Audrey Ruple

Virginia Tech

How to establish a community of practice for co-creation

To co-create research-informed teaching, a group of educators established a community of practice with doctoral students. Here’s how it worked

Kara Chan

Hong Kong Baptist University

The prediction problem in management research

Does a research-based explanation hold when applied to new situations? Here’s how to predict the future as well as clarifying the present

Ahmed Maged Nofal, Frédéric Delmar

EMLyon Business School

Build bridges between disciplines to foster interdisciplinarity

Five practical steps to build sustainable interdisciplinary collaboration, informed by first-hand experience of setting up an interdisciplinary research institute

Mayer Cabrera-Flores

CETYS Universidad

Campus Talks: The value of arts and humanities in higher education

A vice-chancellor-artist and a historian discuss the merits of the arts and humanities and what valuable life lessons and skills can be gained from the study of these disciplines

Michael Scott, Mark Power, Miranda Prynne

The University of Warwick, Liverpool John Moores University

How universities can cultivate arts and humanities in practical, affordable ways

Are the arts and humanities still needed as universities retrench staff and cut costs? Patty Raun explains why curtailing or eliminating these disciplines is an egregious mistake

Patricia Raun

Virginia Tech

Two healthcare professionals consulting a document

Practice makes professional

Well-designed simulations can give future public service practitioners safe opportunities to collaborate across disciplines and build skills vital for supporting vulnerable people

Mark Gregory

The University of East Anglia

The case for arts and humanities spotlight guide

Making the case for arts and humanities

The arts and humanities are often dismissed as an unaffordable luxury, when these disciplines underpin vital human skills. This collection explores how arts and humanities can be harnessed for the benefit of all – students, universities and wider society

Campus contributors, Eliza Compton

Campus

Weave interdisciplinarity into the identity of your humanities department

Create flexibility within department structures to allow interdisciplinary work and collaboration to flourish. Here’s how

Hang Xing

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Magnifying glass looking at a brain, illustration

Putting arts and humanities at the heart of research

Disciplines too often are siloed, but today’s most pressing challenges rarely fit neatly into a single field. How do we encourage science and technology fields to work with arts and humanities?

Lisa McNair, Thomas L. Martin

Virginia Tech

An interdisciplinary team discussing a project

STEAM-based education is the way forward

How to integrate science, technology, engineering, arts, humanities and mathematics to create interdisciplinary programmes that build skills and address real-world problems

Hanifa Shah

Birmingham City University

Students in a lecture, pictured from above

Are we teaching information or developing understanding?

Why we need students to understand concepts rather than simply learn facts – and what pedagogical approaches can help

Maximillian Afnan

The London School of Economics and Political Science

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