The Interdisciplinary Thesis Lab program consists of 12 bi-weekly sessions between February and July 2023. Through the sessions you gain insight into the interdisciplinary context of the challenge, your own thesis assignment and how you can contribute to this challenge as a young leader. Most of the sessions are together with your own Lab team, coordinated by an ‘academic coordinator’ (LDE-researcher). In some sessions you will also meet other Lab teams. 

Explanation of the 12 sessions

During the 12 sessions you will meet professionals in the field, relevant academic experts, follow workshops and join excursions. Not only will you write a thesis report with your individual results, but together with your thesis group, you will create an interdisciplinary result for the sustainability challenge you all have been working on.

The types of sessions we organize are:

Session #0 Online get together

In January we organize a short get together with your lab team and the academic coordinator. You meet the other students and can ask questions about your thesis assignment and lab program.

Session #1 Kick-off: Young Sustainability Leaders + Get to know each other

We will start the kick-off with a welcome by LDE Centre for Sustainability. After that it's time for some inspiration! You will meet three young sustainability professionals: ask them all the questions you have. During the second part of the session, it is time to get to know the other students, academic coordinator, hub coordinator and case holder(s) of your Lab. We finish the day with drinks.

Sessions #2 #3 #4 #5 #8 #9 In-depth lectures (and site visit(s))

The in-depth lectures are organized per individual lab. During these sessions we aim to get a grip on the complex system of the main sustainability challenge of the Lab. Each in-depth lecture starts with (a) guest speaker(s): a professional in the field or academic expert. The second part of the lab is a thesis group, in which you will share your individual master thesis process. One of the in-depth lectures will be a site visit.

*NOTE the Lab on Sustainable Horticulture Agadir has an excursion to Morocco included in the program between May 6-14, 2023 instead of in-depth lecture #8.

#6 Round table 

Halfway through the program, we have an elaborate discussion with the case holders. In a round table or panel discussion, you can share their ideas and questions with the case holders, and vice versa.

#7 Workshop ‘Systems Thinking for Sustainability’ 

To understand the complex system, processes and interdependencies related to the interdisciplinary sustainability challenge, we don’t only focus on knowledge but also on skills. In order to create an interdisciplinary result together (in session #10), we will train your systems thinking skills during this workshop. Systems thinking is an important – and often underexposed – skill for the sustainability transition.

#10 Pressure Cooker Day: LEGO 

It's time to combine your individual thesis results and knowledge about the sustainability challenge of your lab and create an interdisciplinary answer! In this pressure cooker we will work with the method of LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®. You will create an envisioned future system related to the lab challenge, which creates new directions of innovations. You will share your findings with the other lab teams.

#11 Prepare for the Final Presentation 

In this workshop we ask you to prepare the final presentation. Input for the final presentation is: individual thesis outcomes (posters), interdisciplinary result (LEGO) and the knowledge and reflection of the lab sessions. We will start with a (science) communication workshop. Afterwards you have time to prepare for the final presentation and pitch your presentations to each other.

#12 Final Presentation

During the final presentation you will share the knowledge you have gained with the case holder(s).

You will present your individual thesis results (via a poster) and interdisciplinary ‘pressure cooker’ results. There will be room for discussion with the students, case holder(s), academic coordinator, hub coordinator and other stakeholders.