AcademicS

What is Cross-disciplinary?

Cross-disciplinary in education and research is an integrative approach in which collaborative efforts of any form occurs between multiple disciplines. While the importance and needs of cross-disciplinary learning have been recognized by almost all academic and industry leaders; and many variations, such as multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary, have been proposed and advocated, the effectiveness of cross-disciplinary learning has been hindered by the traditional curricula which are normally siloed along conventional disciplinary lines.

As each discipline usually has a set of well-founded rules or viewpoints, collaborators are expected to respect diverse perspectives from other disciplines to achieve collective thinking. Cross-disciplinary learning is a holistic approach best suitable for graduates to become adaptable lifelong learners.

HKUST(GZ) is well poised to adopt a cross-disciplinary approach which will enhance students’ creative thinking, empower them to build their own ideas, cultivate their ability to engage with the social life so as to identify and solve real-world problems. It will deliver learning experiences which focus on the higher capabilities demanded by the brave new world.