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.

By Laura.Duckett , 27 August, 2026

How a university coding competition develops future skills

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

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

Reading time

4minutes

By Eliza.Compton , 27 August, 2026

‘Higher education needs more of the empathetic mindset’

Digital heart among locks, ones and zeros on keyboard

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

Reading time

4minutes

By kiera.obrien , 20 August, 2026

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

Reading time

5minutes

By miranda.prynne , 13 August, 2026

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

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

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

Reading time

39minutes

By Eliza.Compton , 13 August, 2026

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

Reading time

4minutes

By kiera.obrien , 6 August, 2026

How to advance collaboration across higher education

How to advance collaboration in higher education

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

By kiera.obrien , 3 August, 2026

Juggling competing priorities in research collaborations

An illustration of international 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

Reading time

4minutes

By Eliza.Compton , 31 July, 2026

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

By Eliza.Compton , 30 July, 2026

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

Podcast graphic featuring Lorraine Coghill

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

Reading time

32minutes

By kiera.obrien , 14 July, 2026

Intent: the key to effective and efficient interdisciplinary collaboration

Colleagues strategise around a whiteboard

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

Reading time

5minutes

Interdisciplinary learning and research