How do you see new approaches to understanding mental health, crime or addiction? The answer may lie in mixing disciplines, questioning old methods and daring to try new ones. When doctoral students from the University of Gothenburg and Germany's TU Dresden recently put their heads together, the result was both appreciated and hopeful.
Daring to think interdisciplinary was at the heart of the Department of Social Work's first PhD conference in collaboration with TU Dresden University in Germany. During two intensive days, PhD students, lecturers and researchers discussed how to combine methods from different research fields to shed light on social problems such as mental illness, addiction or climate change - from completely new perspectives.
"These full days were very much appreciated, both by the doctoral students who actively participated and by those who came to listen," says Elisabeth Punzi, Director of Studies for the doctoral programme in social work at the University of Gothenburg.
Breaking disciplinary boundaries and encouraging new ideas
One of the highlights was the realisation of how different perspectives can complement each other and raise new questions - and perhaps even new answers. The conference was also rounded off with a creative workshop on intimacy in ethnographic fieldwork, where participants were able to try out new ways of approaching their research material.
"It's easy to get stuck in your own research bubble, but when we collaborate across disciplines and national borders, we see ideas that would otherwise never have emerged," says Annelie de Cabo, senior lecturer in social work at the University of Gothenburg.
Long-term co-operation results from test conference
The University of Gothenburg and TU Dresden are members of EUTOPIA, a European University Alliance consisting of ten prominent European universities. The conference was organised within the framework of the EUTOPTIA MORE project, an international project that aims to create "Connected Communities" to promote interdisciplinary collaboration between universities in the alliance.
The doctoral conference was an appreciated test between the universities.
"It is hoped that this is the beginning of a recurring co-operation with TU Dresden", Elisabeth Punzi.
Text: Louise Älgne
