Where great minds unite

Transdisciplinary School is a central, pan university unit on a mission to instigate a monumental, revolutionary change to tertiary education and research through transdisciplinary innovation at UTS.

Transdisciplinary thinking seeks to build bridges between fields of study and expertise so diverse perspectives can intersect, ideas can be shared more fluidly between industries, and people can thrive through exposure to new ways of thinking uncovering novel approaches to the challenges of our time.

UTS students playing jenga

Transdisciplinary (TD) thinkers

The TD School is a place of unbounded ideas and people with passion to make an impact on the great social challenges of our time. Our people are curious thinkers, hungry to discover what’s possible when great minds unite. They’re collaborative, open-minded and eager to learn.  Building on rich ways of knowing across the disciplines, TD thinkers challenge the status-quo and prove to the world that anything is possible when we work together. With world-class educators and expert local and international industry, government and community partners at the helm, our school is full of ample opportunities for those involved to evolve their thinking, harness the power of creativity and find solutions to complex problems, big and small.

Partnership opportunities

Industry engagement is central to collaborative, participatory and transdisciplinary education. Our philosophy includes teaching and learning practices that draw knowledge from all disciplines, both in and outside traditional academic institutions, to generate creative and novel approaches to complex problems. Work-integrated project-based learning is at the centre of our teaching and learning engagement with industry. For research, we explore emergent practices and knowledge with industry across our focus themes.

Who can be an industry partner?

The TD School looks to engage with a wide range of industry partners to consider challenges and innovation across the sectors. We welcome industry, government and community partners into our transdisciplinary ecosystem, encouraging students to gain experience with differing organisations from start-ups to corporations, not-for-profits to SMEs. We are looking for partners who want to support students in their learning experience, who are open to fresh insights and new perspectives and are ready to engage in mutual learning experiences. All industry engagement opportunities for students are reviewed for both their suitability for the learning experience and alignment with UTS values.

Partner speaking to a class

Award-winning school

Awards for the Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation (BCII);

  • The Industry Innovation Project subject won the 'Next Generation Learning & Skills' category for the International Gown Awards 2022
  • The Industry Innovation Project subject won the 'Next Generation Learning & Skills' category for the Green Gown Awards Australasia 2021
  • 2019 BHERT Award for Outstanding Collaboration in Higher Education and Training in the category of ‘Industry Problem Solving’
  • Australian Awards for University Teaching (AAUT) 2019 Award for Programs that enhance Learning, recognising outstanding leadership in educational partnerships in collaboration with other organisations.
  • Bronze Award at the third annual Reimagine Education Awards in Philadelphia, “Oscars of Higher Education” in the category for innovative classroom-based pedagogy resulting in enhanced student learning.