Ingeborg Reichle will join the international symposium on “Interdisciplinarity Revisited” at the Humboldt Forum in Berlin

From October 3-4, 2019 Ingeborg Reichle will participate in the international conference on “Interdisciplinarity Revisited” at the Humboldt Forum in Berlin, which will focus on new ways of framing interdisciplinary research and teaching: Interdisciplinarity seems to have become a buzzword in research and university life. It is used to describe research designs, projects, subjects, degrees, and even the researcher, the institute or the university itself. But quite often the term remains unquestioned. Despite a wide range of research on this topic during the last 15 years there are still many blind spots and open questions in the realm of interdisciplinary collaboration and cooperation. The symposium will take a closer look at different concepts and definitions of interdisciplinarity and their application in every day university life in a joint symposium, “Interdisciplinarity Revisited”, organized by Humboldt University Berlin, the foundation Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss and the Volkswagen Foundation.

The symposium will discuss the impact of the concept of interdisciplinarity on university education and research. Which definitions lie behind the term and do they still match the rapid evolution the university system has undergone during the last decade? In a second step the contributions go beyond these theoretical reflections and explore which potential interdisciplinary research can actually release. Which types of cooperation have proven to be particularly productive in recent years? Where and how have structural projects shifted subject boundaries, created new fields of research or even new subjects? How much interdisciplinarity is required? Where interdisciplinary research can help to solve urgent questions in contemporary society, such as “To whom does culture belong?”, a topic that is central to the Humboldt Forum? Where are the boundaries and which are the risks? How can stakeholders respond to the demands and challenges of research and institutional practice? In addition, the future implementation of interdisciplinarity in university education and teaching and the on-going digitization of science and humanities will be addressed.

This symposium is the first academic meeting, which will be held in the newly built Humboldt Forum in Berlin. With the Humboldt Forum, a completely new cultural district is being created in the very heart of the city. It brings together diverse cultures and perspectives and seeks new insights into topical issues such as migration, religion and globalization.

Programme:

Session 1: Interdisciplinarity and Transdisciplinarity under the Magnifying Glass – a Critical Inventory

Session 2: Mapping Interdisciplinarity and Research – Frameworks and Structures

Session 3: Interdisciplinarity in Academic Learning – Who Benefits?

Session 4: Interactive Exchange and Contemporary Reflections on the Question “Who owns Culture”?

Session 5: Global Issues as Challenges for Interdisciplinary Research

Session 6: Bridging the Gap between Distant Knowledge Domains – Epistomologic Challenges and Research Practices

Session 7: Interdisciplinarity and Universities – Future Perspectives

Venue: This symposium will be held in the newly built Humboldt Forum, Schlossplatz 7, 10178 Berlin.

Registration via https://www.volkswagenstiftung.de/en/events

Program_Interdisciplinarity_Revisited