Interdisciplinarity at Uni.lu

Claus Vögele has headed the Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS) since 1 October 2022. The Professor of Clinical and Health Psychology has ambitious plans for the initiative founded in 2020. “With the IAS, we want to help interdisciplinary thinking make its breakthrough at the University of Luxembourg,” Vögele says

Like most research institutions, the University of Luxembourg currently conducts much of its excellent research within the disciplinary boundaries of individual departments. The IAS aims to change this by supporting only projects that bring together at least two disciplines. “These collaborations must be on an equal footing,” Vögele explains. “Only proposals that convincingly demonstrate clear knowledge gains or shared data benefits for all participating disciplines are eligible for IAS funding.” Guided by this principle, the IAS has already funded several research projects, with results published in leading international journals.

Vögele’s vision extends even further. “Interdisciplinarity grows out of personal communication and human interaction,” he says. To foster this, he is advocating for the IAS to join the international UBIAS network, the University-Based Institutes for Advanced Studies. In the long term, he also believes the IAS should have its own dedicated space: “Interdisciplinary researchers need a place to come together at the University of Luxembourg—a true home for the IAS.”