Forwarding multi-disciplinary education for international students with various educational/professional backgrounds

In 2011, Lund University carried out a project called Educational Quality 11 (EQ11). EQ11 highlighted the experience gained over time at some institutions at Lund University, including four educational institutions in a faculty-like entity called University Special Activities, which have been carrying out interdisciplinary educational activities (programmes and courses) for students with diverse cultural, academic and professional backgrounds. Personnel engaged in such educational activities have, over the years, strived to improve the quality of education through means such as participation in pedagogy courses, reflecting on students’ feedback, discussions with peer teachers, staff and the like. However, as of 2015, Lund University lacked pedagogy courses tailored for interdisciplinary education, or for students with diverse cultural, academic and professional backgrounds. Reflecting upon this situation, this project was carried out to document and share essential experiences and learning of personnel engaged in these types of educational activities. The main outcome of the project is a book with the contribution of eight chapters by seventeen people from eight institutions representing the following four faculties: medicine, engineering, social science, and University Special Activities. The work has been carried out in close collaboration with the Division for Higher Education Development.