This year the Institute for Science in Society of the Radboud is honored to co-host the National Interdisciplinary Education (NIE) conference. ISiS staff members Luca Consoli (director of Institute for Inter- and Transdisciplinary Education), Jochem Zuijderwijk and Kim van Zomeren, together with our former colleague Annemarie Horn (now at Utrecht University), have taken up the organisation of this year’s NIE conference at the Radboud Nijmegen University campus. The conference will take place on 29 October 2026 and center around the chosen theme of ‘Disciplinarity and Interdisciplinarity in Higher Education: Challenges, Practices, and Institutional aspects’.
The NIE conference is a national conference meant to bring together everyone who has a stake in interdisciplinary education, including teachers and lecturers, students, higher educational staff, junior and senior researchers, policy makers and administrators, and any interested transdisciplinary and societal partners. ISiS and our co-hosts have chosen to organise the conference because we recognise both the importance of interdisciplinary education and the difficulties it faces in educational institutes often structured along disciplinary lines. The relationship between disciplinarity and interdisciplinarity in teaching and learning is complex and often marked by tension. Disciplines continue to shape curricula, learning outcomes, assessment practices, organisational structures, and academic identities, while interdisciplinary and interprofessional approaches are increasingly promoted as essential for addressing complex problems, fostering transferable skills, and preparing students for uncertain futures. For that reason, this year's conference seeks to explore how disciplinarity and interdisciplinarity intersect, conflict, complement, and co-evolve within the context of higher education teaching and learning.
This year’s NIE conference will open with a few words by our rector magnificus José Sanders and a special plenary keynote by Prof. Iris van der Tuin of Utrecht University, after which we will have a day filled with presentation sessions, workshops, and discussions around the theme of interdisciplinary education. We will have a full and diverse program with submissions from parties across the Netherlands, as well as chance to interact with fellow attendees during a supplied lunch and drinks afterwards. Attendance is free and we hope anyone interested in interdisciplinary education considers joining us for the day.
Participants can submit their own proposals for contributions until 1 May end of day. If you would like to learn more about the exact themes and focus points of this year’s conference, would like to submit a proposal for a contribution of your own, or would simply like to register as a visitor, we encourage you to visit our dedicated website.
The 2026 Conference is jointly organised by the Institute for Science in Society & Institute for Inter- and Transdisciplinary Education (Radboud University Nijmegen), Liberal Arts and Sciences (Utrecht University), and the Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies (University of Amsterdam), and is supported by the Radboud Teaching and Learning centre.