The digital revolution, demographic changes, and the climate crisis–addressing the complex, conflicting fields of our time requires an epistemic landscape that is conducive to traversing academic parameters. Crossing the borders between disciplines should be considered a starting point for possibilities – even essential as a to interlink them – rather than an act of deconstruction. The Innovation through Universitas calls for a new, transdisciplinary university culture. It signals the beginning of an alliance to support creative innovation between Johannes Kepler University Linz and the University of Applied Arts Vienna, systematically entwining art and culture with science and technological design to encourage and inspire symbiotic progression. It is a call to action, and an appeal to supporting transdisciplinary university collaboration and creating procedures and ‘real-world’ labs that can incorporate experimental approaches, both large and small. Tapping into the transformative potential of various disciplines in order to acquire concrete insight into the future of research and education requires pioneering approaches and unique individual projects. Turning an idea into a reality throws into relief what can be perceived and institutionalized as added values. Among this year’s goals is a call for proposals to support projects at the interface of art and science, as well as to create “Transformation Labs”.
Credit: jku
