As societal, industrial, and scientific issues are getting more extensive and complex, the demand for experts with interdisciplinary skills is increasing. It is the diversity of in-depth perspectives that is necessary to tackle the newest scientific frontiers and the major societal challenges we face today. This combination of diversity and depth is characteristic of the world-leading interdisciplinary research at the University of Amsterdam, such as the Origin of life, that provides opportunities for educational innovation tighly link to research. At the same time universities are confronted with a new generation of students who are in need of - now often extracurricular - skills and experience and have a wish to stand out.
InterSpecial is an innovative educational initiative that will train students at the different institutes of the Faculty of Science (FNWI) to work effectively in an interdisciplinary team as experts in different disciplines (e.g. chemistry, physics, computer science, astronomy). This intiative will use a research question as a pedagogical tool to urge students to reflect on interdisciplinary skills such as collaboration, cultural awareness while at the same time strengthen the confidence on their own expertise. The pilot of this initiative will involve around the research theme Origin of Life, but it will be generalised to other interdisciplinary research themes, thus fostering the connection between education and research.
InterSpecial will be offered to advanced students from existing programs who want to develop interdisciplinary research skills without losing their specialized focus. The goal of InterSpecials is train the next generation of responsible citizen that have the expertise knowledge and adeuqate skills to address complex, multidimenional issues at the frontier of innovation and society.
InterSpecial is an initiative of the Faculty of Science (FNWI) of the University of Amsterdam, led by the Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies (IIS), the Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy (API) and the van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences (HIMS).
Do you have an amazing idea on how you can contribute to InterSpecial ? Do you have complex research questions that need different expertise working together? Get in contact!
- Alessandra Candian (API) => [email protected]
- Esther Quaedackers (IIS) => [email protected]
- Annemieke Petrignani (HIMS) => [email protected]