Tackling real-world problems through Interdisciplinary Collaboration (TIC)

Tackling Real-World Problems through Interdisciplinary Collaboration (TIC) is an elective course of 10-21 hours/week (depending on one’s availability) that brings together second- and third-year bachelor’s students, master’s students, and professionals to work in interdisciplinary teams on pressing societal challenges provided by partners outside the university. Through this hands-on, community-engaged learning (CEL) experience, participants deepen their interdisciplinary skills and learn how to make tangible societal impacts.

The course features a rich mix of guest lectures, interviews, workshops, and discussions. Working together in diverse groups, students and professionals apply their theoretical knowledge to craft practical, real-world solutions—such as prototypes, videos, policy proposals, or symposia.

Each edition of TIC presents four thematic challenges closely aligned with Utrecht University’s strategic themes:

• Investing in the Future (Pathways to Sustainability)
• Humans on the Move (Institutions for Open Societies)
• Green Teens (Dynamics of Youth)
• One Health (Life Sciences)

Participants can indicate their preference for two themes, and interdisciplinary teams are carefully assembled to ensure diversity and alignment with individual interests. Join TIC to gain valuable interdisciplinary and CEL skills and help shape impactful solutions to today’s most urgent societal challenges.

Check out the course website for more information.

To navigate the TIC process, participants are placed within a team of 4-5 other students and professionals working together on a specific societal problem. The TIC course incorporates a variety of different learning components including workshops, expert lectures, scientific and societal research, group work as well as reflection and personal development opportunities, amongst others.

Three phases

The course consists of three phases to guide students and professionals to engage with the different challenges and develop their solutions.

• ENGAGE: translating the societal partner’s broadly presented problem to a well-defined challenge. (week 1) We start with a broad concept that can be explored in multiple ways – the ‘big idea’. The aim is to narrow down and personalize the big idea, into a call for action, making it an immediate, actionable, and exciting challenge.

• INVESTIGATE: look at the challenge from different perspectives (weeks 2-5). In this phase, you will conduct content- and concept-based research to create a foundation for actionable and sustainable solutions.

• ACT: develop and test solutions (week 6-10) In this last phase, you will develop grounded solutions and implement them in authentic settings, receive and handle feedback, and learn from successes and failures.

Since personal development is an important component of the course, participants are guided through the process of personal and professional reflection throughout the course, alongside their group’s research into a solution to the societal problem. During the course, participants review their own strengths and weaknesses regarding interdisciplinary and cross-level collaboration and their ability to connect science and society. Additionally, participants are asked to review what they bring to the group in relation to others as well as evaluate their personal and professional growth.

The TIC course is a 10-week course. To navigate the TIC process, participants are assigned to a team of 4-5 other students and lifelong learners working together on a specific societal problem. The TIC course incorporates a variety of different learning components including workshops, expert lectures, scientific and societal research, group work as well as reflection and personal development opportunities, amongst others.

The course will run in period three of the current academic year starting in February, 2025.

Please note that enrollment is possible until January 21, 2025.

After registering, you will receive an e-mail from us with further details. Did you not receive an e-mail? Don’t forget to check your junk mail folder.

Please contact us at tic@uu.nl if you have any questions.