Welcome to the NIE website! For more information about the NIE, please visit this page. Below you will find a recap of the 2024 NIE event. Information about the 2025 NIE event will be shared in 2025.
The 2024 NIE Conference marked the start of the International Transdisciplinarity Conference (ITD24) at the Spoorwegmuseum in Utrecht. This year’s event focused on interdisciplinary approaches. The event also provided opportunities for networking and exchanging ideas among professionals in inter- and transdisciplinary higher education from the Netherlands and Flanders.
The conference kicked off with a keynote on the value of interdisciplinary research by Rick Szostak, Professor of Economics at the University of Alberta and former President of the Association for Interdisciplinary Studies. He highlighted real-world examples and outlined key steps in the inter- and transdisciplinary research process. Szostak emphasized the unique advantages of an interdisciplinary approach in policy analysis, such as overcoming disciplinary biases, anticipating unintended side effects, and addressing complex policy challenges. This approach also prepares researchers for instability and “unknown unknowns.”
Following the keynote, attendees participated in group discussions on challenges related to interdisciplinary education. Several themes and insights emerged: First, participants emphasized the importance of developing essential skills for interdisciplinary research. These include the ability to take different perspectives, engage in personal development, communicate effectively, and think critically. To ensure students involved in interdisciplinary gain these skills, teaching these skills should be systematically incorporated at various levels and stages of academic programs, allowing for gradual and meaningful skill acquisition.
Another key theme was the role of lecturers in fostering integration within interdisciplinary education. Participants agreed that educators play a crucial part in actively guiding students through the integration process. Rather than leaving students to navigate this complexity on their own, lecturers should create a supportive and collaborative environment that encourages integration.
Challenge-based learning was highlighted as a valuable pedagogical concept for interdisciplinary student research. The discussions also explored the intersection of diversity and inclusion with interdisciplinary research and education. Participants addressed how diversity and inclusion can both challenge and enhance interdisciplinary efforts. They also considered how educators and researchers should respond when external stakeholders resist contributing to interdisciplinary integration. Recognizing the barriers faced by first-generation students was deemed critical, as was the need to incorporate diverse forms of knowledge, such as those grounded in indigenous traditions and conceptual frameworks.
Finally, integration methods for interdisciplinary student work were examined. Utrecht University’s Liberal Arts and Sciences bachelor’s program was cited as an example, with its five-step integration model: redefinition, extension or intension, transformation, organization, and distinguishing.
The conference concluded with a brainstorm potential on themes for the next NIE in 2025. Two key topics emerged: strategies for convincing program directors of the value of trans- and interdisciplinary research and exploring ‘transformation’ versus ‘transition’.
We look forward to (re)connect at the 2025 NIE event!