Haarlem,
08
April
2022
|
13:58
Europe/Amsterdam

Inholland-wide interdisciplinary initiatives: we’re going for it!

Collaborating on complex issues across disciplines

Society is facing complex issues. Complex issues that require design-oriented, interdisciplinary collaboration. Inholland University of Applied Sciences wishes to make a substantial contribution to these issues. We are doing so by making existing interdisciplinary educational environments accessible across the whole of Inholland from September onwards. Initiatives in which education, research and the professional field come together and that are open to third- and fourth-year students from different faculties and degree programmes. We’re going to make it possible!   

Why opt for interdisciplinary educational initiatives within our university of applied sciences? Precisely because social issues do not respect the boundaries between technical, financial or creative domains either. Collaboration between different disciplines allows students to come up with different solutions than when working only within their own degree programme. In this way, they can develop skills that are indispensable for an interdisciplinary professional field.   

In addition, Inholland increasingly wishes to give students ownership of their own learning pathways, with a growing focus on skills and talent development across degree programmes and faculties. 

As a university of applied sciences, we want to facilitate and stimulate interdisciplinary collaboration in order to educate professionals who are ready for the challenges of the future. This teaches students to look beyond their own field of study and experience what it is like to work on the same issue from various different areas of expertise.

Fabian van der Horst, faculty director of Agri, Food & Life Sciences and Bas van Spréw, faculty director of Creative Business

Facilitating interdisciplinary initiatives 
With effect from September and in the subsequent period, the Executive Board and faculty directors have identified opportunities for further interdisciplinary development of 30-ECTS initiatives that bring together education, research and the professional field. These include the International Music Industry Lab track and the Samen werken aan de toekomstbestendige stad minor. 

In order to embed this before the start of the new academic year, the following initiatives are being launched: 

  • The development of a single student platform for these initiatives, on which students from the various faculties can register and where all the joint offerings are displayed in a transparent manner. 
  • Facilitating the deployment of lecturers, researchers and support staff from the various faculties and service departments, with collaboration and professionalisation ‘on the job’ as important pillars.  
  • Appointing a single representative for each faculty, jointly forming a network to enable more students to follow interdisciplinary education and to increase the number of participating initiatives.  

I gained a different perspective on the world by looking at a problem from various different perspectives. It's bizarre what you can learn from other degree programmes.

Student on Samen werken aan de toekomstbestendige stad minor

Offerings on the student platform 
The student platform on which the offerings will be posted is currently under development. The aim is to open the platform for student registration by mid-April. Here, the students will find more information about the initiatives and the possibilities for admission. The offerings for which third- and fourth-year students will then be able to apply are as follows: 

  1. SLUISlab - Amsterdam  
    A place for social innovation on Zeeburgereiland. Students, researchers, local residents and other stakeholders are working together to answer the question: How do you invent an island? 
  2. Urban Leisure and Tourism Lab - Amsterdam 
    In this urban lab, students and organisations are investigating how tourism and leisure activities can make a positive contribution to the city. 
  3. Urban Leisure and Tourism Lab - Rotterdam 
    This urban lab is located near the Zuidplein shopping centre. Together with organisations, students are investigating how tourism and leisure activities can make a positive contribution to the city. 
  4. Citylab - Haarlem
    This urban lab is located at the heart of the Waarderpolder business park. Here, students are working on a sustainable urban environment together with various degree programmes, clients and networks. 
  5. Sustainable Media Lab - The Hague 
    In this lab, students focus on building creative spaces and enabling media ecosystems that can stand the test of time. 
  6. International Music Industry Lab - Haarlem 
    Students build healthier music ecosystems by fostering a community of learners from different disciplines and taking on design challenges together. 

Every time you went to college, you were drawn into a workshop. They didn't feel like lessons, but workshops where you learned a lot by doing.

Student on the Urban Leisure and Tourism Lab track - Amsterdam

We will keep you updated 
Together with all our faculties and service departments, we are working hard to make this a reality for our students. As soon as students can register, they will be notified of this fact via various channels. We will also keep colleagues informed of all relevant developments, e.g. via Iris.   

Would you like more information about the Inholland-wide interdisciplinary initiatives? If so, contact Remco van den Berg or Karin van Beckhoven.  

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