INTERDISCIPLINARITY AT THE HEART OF THE CHEMISTRY GRADUATE SCHOOL’S APPROACH

Interdisciplinarity, as opposed to multidisciplinarity (which is a combination of disciplines) aims to promote interaction and collaboration between several disciplines around a common project.

Interdisciplinarity is a key scientific component of the Chemistry Graduate School. It is fully in line with the aims and challenges pursued by Université Paris-Saclay. The Chemistry Graduate School’s vision and projects are rooted in disciplinary AND interdisciplinary skills. The development of an interdisciplinary aspect at the Chemistry Graduate School is one of the future challenges for all its activities, from education to research and innovation. 

It is therefore essential that this approach involves complementary skills at the interface of one or more other disciplines dedicated to the advancement of a research project within the Chemistry Graduate School. Energy, health, water, food, resource conservation and the environment, for example, are all challenges which strongly involve chemical science and therefore the people involved at the Chemistry Graduate School.

Our approach is based on the vast scientific wealth and diversity at the University, which is structured into Graduate Schools and within which a large number of disciplines are represented. Interactions at the interfaces of the fields of Life Sciences, Physical Sciences and Environmental Sciences are anchored or need to be strengthened in the University's infrastructure in order to be able to respond to the major technological, societal and environmental challenges. Opportunities for interaction have already been identified with other GS such as HeaDS (health and medicines), engineering and systems sciences, and physical and life sciences (LSH and Biosphera). 

These interactions also take the form of training activities such as joint Bachelor's degrees and joint Master's study paths, as well as scientific projects such as the LabEx (PALM, NanoSaclay) and several future cross-disciplinary subjects reflecting the salient or contributing elements of the Chemistry Graduate School's teams' activities. 

Beyond these interactions, it will be essential to strengthen emerging interactions in research and teaching and to explore opportunities in the fields of heritage science, legislation and the fields of aeronautics and space, supported by practitioners at the Chemistry Graduate School and/or partner Graduate Schools.

Several initiatives in the short and medium term are planned and will be implemented:

  1. Setting up theme days with or without links to other GS
  2. Introduction to the members of the GS Chemistry of all the existing technical platforms.
  3. Presentation of examples of interdisciplinary courses and research projects
  4. Review of existing interdisciplinary collaborations within the GS Chemistry
  5. Identification of financial, contractual or institutional supports offering a framework for interdisciplinary work.
  6. Financial support for the development of interdisciplinary projects
  7. Development of interdisciplinary work in connection with the drive for development

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