In April, the CMS ran its third Interdisciplinary School. This one-week intensive course is a unique model for interdisciplinary training and socially engaged education and has an applied, real-world focus.
The course was led by Rachel Kelly, and supported by Georgina Gurney, the School’s Equity Specialist Chair, and Gretta Pecl, CMS Director. It brought together nearly 20 participants from different academic disciplines and backgrounds. These participants included students from CMS and UTAS, as well as students and professionals from external organisations including from interstate. The diverse cohort contributed to a rich, interdisciplinary learning environment that emphasised collaboration and inclusivity.
At the start of the week, students were introduced to real-world challenges presented by stakeholders from Huon Valley Council, NRE Recreational Fisheries, and the Tasmanian diving community. The stakeholders posed problems they were currently facing, and students were tasked with working collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams to develop innovative and feasible project proposals aimed at addressing these problems. At the end of the week, students presented their project proposals to a panel of stakeholders and CMS ECRs and senior researchers.
The lectures and sessions that delivered by CMS researchers over the week supported the student work. The interactive panel discussions offered students opportunity to engage with CMS researchers, ask questions, and reflect on the range of perspectives being discussed.
The students’ feedback was overwhelmingly positive, in particular they highlighted the opportunity to work on real-world problems, and the chance to collaborate across disciplines.
