Thematic Interdisciplinary Challenge (TIC)

About TIC

Are you a student? Watch this video to get to know TIC:

Are you a professional? Watch this video to get to know TIC:

In today’s world we face numerous complex societal and environmental challenges. Lights and wheelsThese challenges require the input and actions of a broad range of actors, working together across sectors and disciplines. In the TIC course, students and lifelong learners will collaborate with societal partners and receive training to become interdisciplinary and innovative problem solvers that contribute to solutions to real-world problems.

The Thematic Interdisciplinary Challenge (TIC) is a 7.5 ECTs elective course for year-3 Bachelor students, Master students and lifelong learners from different disciplines. The course promotes interdisciplinary and cross-level collaboration while solving real-world challenges related to Utrecht University’s four strategic themes.

The course offers a mix of (guest) lectures, interviews, workshops and discussions. In interdisciplinary groups of 4-5 students and lifelong learners, theoretical knowledge is applied in order to solve real-world challenges. You can find the program of the course here.

One line of workshops focusses on different stages of the process from defining to solving the problem. The solution could be a prototype, a video, a symposium, a policy document, etc. Another line of workshops is directed towards (inter)personal and professional development. The course format creates space for curiosity, enthusiasm, and creativity to come up with innovative ideas that contribute to the needs of today’s society.

Each edition of the TIC course offers four Thematic Interdisciplinary Challenges (TICs) connected to the university’s strategic themes. In this year’s edition,  the following TICs are included:

All challenges are interdisciplinary and welcome students and lifelong learners from all backgrounds. Upon registration, participants will be asked to indicate their preference for two of the Thematic Interdisciplinary Challenges. For the assignment of participants to the various groups, the TIC team seeks to create mixed groups and take into account the indicated preferences.