Interdisciplinary Collaborations for Innovation Symposium
On the 6th of December the Centre for the Science of Learning and Technology (SLATE) at the University of Bergen, Norway, and the Webster Center for Creativity and Innovation (WCCI) at Webster Geneva Campus co-organized an international symposium in Bergen on the topic “Building bridges: Interdisciplinary collaborations for innovation”.
This one-day, international symposium aimed to dispel the mystery around interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation. It built on the success of the Creativity, Learning, and Technology symposium held at Webster Geneva Campus in December 2017.
Participants were local and international experts working within various disciplines who shared knowledge regarding recent developments in interdisciplinarity as well as creativity and innovation research.
The day included keynotes, discussion, presentations and debates that offered participants the opportunity to learn, reflect, and contribute to the development new insights into interdisciplinary collaborations for innovation.
Vlad Glaveanu, Head of the Department of Psychology and Counseling at Webster Geneva Campus and Director of the Webster Center for Creativity and Innovation, gave a keynote titled “Unpacking Interdisciplinary, Cultivating Creativity” on the relationship between working across disciplinary perspectives and reaching new and creative insights.
The other two keynotes were offered by Prof. Mark Runco, leading scholar in creativity research, and Michela Magas, innovation catalyst and advisor to both the European Commission and the G7 Leaders in the area of Innovation, Artificial Intelligence and Creative Industries.
Francesco Arese Visconti, Head of the Department of Media and Communication, offered a talk titled “’Sua Cuique Persona’: Face as Mask in Photographic Portraits of Italians in 21st - Century Switzerland” on the interdisciplinary use of photography, history, philosophy and psychology in unpacking the relationship between face and mask.
Next year’s edition of this international symposium marking the collaboration between the WCCI and SLATE should take place in December at Webster Geneva Campus.