How can we achieve TDE in practice?

Initiating and maintaining transdisciplinary programmes at higher education institutions requires financial, human and infrastructural resources. These resources are not always in place, which can lead to various challenges. In the following, some of these challenges are listed together with recommendations on how to potentially approach them. The recommendations are based on individual experiences – they may not necessarily work in your specific context but hopefully they can offer some inspiration…

There is no funding to finance a transdisciplinary programme

• Start with small projects that do not take (much) money to organize such as a collaborative lecture (series), a transdisciplinary poster slam/exhibition or a citizen science project
• Look for partners in “wealthier” departments or even at other universities
• Collaborate with non-academic stakeholders, who are willing to fund a case-competition or another event (often the incentive for local companies is good press and the opportunity to meet potential future employees)
• Find out about advertised funds and make them work for your project idea (some universities offer funding for conferences, for inviting guest speakers or for initiating international cooperation etc. … maybe this can be connected to your project idea and you could host a conference on Honours Programmess or start a cooperation with a foreign university willing to collaborate on a transdisciplinary lab or hackathon)

There are not enough Staff Members who can support a programme on a long-term basis

• Try to create benefits for teaching staff who are willing to take on additional tasks and responsibilities, e.g. make transdisciplinary classes count more towards their teaching load
• Invite Government to award extra excellence points to Departments effectively offering transdisciplinary programmes that are then used to distribute teaching and research resources (Italy)
• Think about the concept of student mentors (students who have already participated in the programme continue to support it as mentors and take over certain tasks for ECTS or a small financial reward, example: TDI at KU Leuven, Belgium)
• In the long run: Think about the benefits of the programme and try to document them. If the programme attracts large number of students or receives approval in another way, you might be able to claim employees

It is difficult to bring together teaching cultures of different subjects without conflict and in a way that makes sense

• Do not enforce collaboration between specific institutes/people. Rather try to offer a platform for exchange where “natural” matches can find each other
• Processes of change often need time, especially when diverse disciplines need to find common ground
• Find out about the wishes and demands of students. Often they know what additional knowledge would be helpful for their studies
• Integrate levels of reflection in every study programme and organize events where students can exchange experiences on transdisciplinary projects and their benefits/downsides

Introducing transdisciplinary programmes is not welcomed by HEI because of fixed structures that leave little room for innovative ideas – this leads to low motivation of students and staff

• Try to convince your university of a pilot version of a certain programme or event in case you are not able to persuade them about a long-term project
• If legal permissions are strict in your country, start with extracurricular programmes/events and prepare change slowly
• Talk to ministries/funding partners: If TDE is stated as a clear aim in educational plans or project calls, it will become easier to convince HEI of its relevance
• Disseminate STEAM+ aims among relevant and powerful actors at the policy decision levels
• Let businesses express that they need transdisciplinary competences for their companies

It is complicated to implement new courses into existing study programmes (accreditation)

• Inform yourself: What are the regulations of current study programmes at your university? Do students maybe already have the opportunity to participate in classes outside their regular curriculum and can get credit points for participating in “external” classes? If not, what would it take to change these regulations?
• When is the next round of accreditation for a certain study programme? Plan early to make changes and include new courses into existing programmes or at least create room for choices…

There are a number of administrative issues that need clarification, e.g. admission criteria, credit points, long-term quality management

• Ask the coordinators/facilitators of successful programmes from other universities to present their concept
• Make practical decisions that are based on your resources and remember that projects can develop over time – Maybe you need to start with a few selected students in order to extend the programme later on