Activities

A cornerstone of the Organizational Change for Inter- and Transdisciplinarity working group activities for the first year is a series of similarly formatted workshops. The format and thematics were shaped by two inaugural workshops held in September and the post-workshop survey results.

Next workshop: 1 December, 4pm-5.30pm EET, in Zoom

Signup by 27 November: https://doit.medfarm.uu.se/bin/kurt3/kurt/8892912

Workshop Format

The Common Room 
Connecting, touching base and sharing
Format: Brief thematic presentation on a success or dilemma, followed by respondent, open floor discussion, and small group discussion on related topics.

• Thematic presentation:
  • Developing an Interdisciplinary Workforce for the Institutionalization of Interdisciplinarity.
    Institutionalizing interdisciplinarity requires skilled individuals who can actively contribute to its implementation. Therefore, building capacity for interdisciplinary collaboration and integration must be both supported and prioritized. Competency frameworks are valuable tools to guide skill development and ensure alignment with institutional priorities. However, given the diversity of roles within universities, a one-size-fits-all model may not be suitable for all contexts. These frameworks must be adapted to different levels of experience and positions to offer training and support tailored to a variety of needs.
    To spark the discussion, Marie-France Gévry will present the Sentinel North Training Program Conceptual Model and its associated Competency Framework, developed to enhance the interdisciplinary capacity of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows within this large-scale research initiative at Université Laval (Quebec, Canada). She will also share insights on its implementation and evaluation, including its benefits and limitations.
  • Speaker Marie-France Gévry works as an Interdisciplinary Integration Advisor for Research and Studies and as a lecturer for the graduate course “Interdisciplinary Research and Collaboration” at Université Laval (Quebec, Canada). She brings over 15 years of experience managing major interdisciplinary training projects, working across diverse scientific and multicultural contexts. From 2016 to 2025, as the Sentinel North Program Manager, she developed and implemented an institutional training strategy aimed at enhancing interdisciplinary capacity within the institution. She also played a key role in shaping the program’s scientific agenda and strategic planning.

• Respondent : Bald de Vries, Professor of Interdisciplinary Legal Education & Director of the Center for Academic Teaching and Learning, Utrecht University.
  • Bald de Vries is professor in Interdisciplinary education. Shaping legal education, the point of departure is that studying law demands understanding its context: society. This per definition implies an interdisciplinary approach to address all kinds of societal problems, great and small. In a variety of courses, Bald realizes this interdisciplinary potential. As Academic Director of the Centre for Academic Teaching & Learning, Bald initiates and facilitates activities in the field of education innovation, teacher professionalization, and education research.
• Interactive Session
  In breakout groups, participants will explore one of the five core competencies from the Sentinel North Competency Framework. Each group will identify the expected level of mastery for individuals at different academic stages or roles:
  • Researchers (including postdoctoral fellows, research associates, and group leaders)
  • Professors
  • Administrative personnel

The Library Project 
Collecting, sharing and annotating useful resources 

Format: Depository for related literature (both peer-reviewed and grey literature)
and space for review and discussion
Aim: Evaluate ITD knowledge base and use it to pivot to new opportunities 

The Impact Project 
Actively advocating and impacting the role of ITD in policy-making, research funding and publishing.

Format: Mapping interest, involving stakeholders, defining the topic, creating action plans
Aim: Impact specific research policy(ies), funding program, university/institute assessment practices, or certain publishers’ policies; involving and co-creating with the external stakeholders.

Recordings and Presentations from Previous Activities, see below