INTERDISCIPLINARY ELECTIVES

In fall 2023/24, MCI students will have the chance to participate in an interdisciplinary elective in order to work on current topics in cross-program student cohorts, discuss different perspectives and exchange ideas with MCI students from other programs. In this way, we can offer our students the unique opportunity to participate in one of our interdisciplinary electives from a wide range of inspiring topics.

From the multitude of exciting events, we have taken a closer look at three that contribute in a special way to foster collaboration and exchange between different disciplines, which can lead to a more inclusive and connected academic community.

Prof. Dr. Sabrina Schneider teaches the seminar "Human-AI Collaboration" and we asked her what learning goals she wants to achieve in her elective, "In summary, we are looking at how we can design our collaboration with artificial intelligence to achieve competitive advantage."

It is imperative that our students think outside the box and learn to think and act in an interdisciplinary manner. Many real-world problems and challenges are very complex and multi-faceted, and a single discipline alone may not be sufficient to solve that complexity or problem. By combining different disciplines and thinking in an interdisciplinary way, one can develop new perspectives and approaches to solving problems that would not be obvious at first glance if one were to think only within a single discipline. The goal is therefore also to creatively find new ways and solutions for a better future.

Taking responsibility for the future also means creating a transformation into a sustainable society. This is particularly evident in the event by Prof. Dr. Antje Bierwisch, Julia Vögele, BA MA and Mag. iur. Julia Waldegger, BA entitled "Futures Thinking for Sustainable Innovation".

Professor Bierwisch comments, "This elective helps to understand sustainability as an opportunity rather than a challenge by means of future-oriented thinking. It empowers participants in a playful, transformative way to critically examine their thinking patterns of today and further develop entrepreneurial skills for sustainable innovation."

Our electives can also help our students gain broader knowledge and skills that go beyond the specialty of their own degree program. This can contribute to a need to be more versatile and flexible, and thus able to tackle complex problems and adapt to changing conditions.

In the course "Building green organizations", Dr. Daniel Degischer wants to work with our students on how they can become the change-makers of tomorrow. We also asked him how he will achieve that.

"Making organizations fit for the future requires radical renewal. The course combines theoretical concepts with practical application to develop and align companies sustainably."

In addition to the exciting content of our electives, we also want our new electives to help our students expand their academic network and connect with other students and disciplines. Electives can help students improve their skills, identify their talents, and thus enhance their personal development.