The two days consisted of a packed schedule with numerous inspiring workshops and interactive lectures by skilled academics, educators, and students, as well as interesting discussions and brainstorming among all participants. Energetic Honours students acted as conference hosts and guided participants through the program. The conference title, ‘Unleashing Potential,’ along with the keywords ‘potential,’ ‘purpose,’ and ‘passion,’ was no coincidence. Throughout the days, a clear consensus emerged on the need to focus on personal development and well-being, as well as social belonging among students. This is partly based on the ‘Inner Development Goals’, which can be used to guide and strengthen both individual students and groups in educational activities. When each student is given the opportunity to cultivate and unleash their potential and passion, doors to endless possibilities—and, importantly, the capacity to seize them—are opened.
This was made explicit during the workshop ‘Purpose-Driven Learning (PDL) for Sustainable Futures & Human Flourishing,’ which aimed to “match […] the students' potential and longing with the urgent needs of the world.” The workshop invited brainstorming on how higher education can better facilitate social belonging and relationships among fellow students and across disciplines, along with increased engagement with the outside world. This was further emphasized in the presentation of a socio-economic model of the ‘Societal Impacts of Honours,’ and the African philosophy of ‘Ubuntu,’ which means ‘I am because you are.’ The lecture on the research project ‘Meaning in Life - Encouraging the Experience of Personal Meaning in Education’ further highlighted the need to break away from outdated but ingrained notions and language about education, including the view of disciplines as isolated silos.
Practical examples and ideas were presented on a series of posters showcasing teaching methods, initiatives, journals, and pitches. Among these was 'The Dress', inspired by Repko and Szostak’s (2021) Pressure Cooker Interdisciplinary Research Process, and the student-driven journal 'Glocality', which provides a publishing platform for students worldwide. Building relational networks, both locally and globally, was also a central focus in the panel discussion with the European Honours Council. Various Honours programs and other innovative educational formats are emerging globally. There is enormous potential if we can inspire and learn from and with each other across national, social, cultural, and disciplinary boundaries.
Throughout, the conversations revolved around the need for a holistic understanding of, and taking seriously what it means to be a student and a young adult today. We live in a world that constantly demands our attention and action. We are called to address and take responsibility for large, complex global problems. There is broad agreement that these problems require competence and experience across disciplines, fields of study, and sectors. While there is enormous variation in how this can be taught and learned in practice, there is little doubt that it requires co-creative interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral collaboration. One of INTED's core ambitions is to explore the many opportunities for facilitating such collaborations. Much potential lies in purposefully exploring beyond established frameworks and cultivating what we are passionately committed to, together.
References
Repko, A. F., & Szostak, R. (2021). Interdisciplinary research: Process and theory (4th ed.). Sage.