P10 - Project-based learning for a transdisciplinary engagement with social issues - a collaborative approach as part of a doctoral program

Goro Yamazaki, Associate Professor, Osaka University, Japan

The Cross-Boundary Innovation program was launched in 2012 as a special program for doctoral students in Osaka University. The purpose is to foster a different kind of graduate who can tackle the complex social issues of a global age by using their own disciplinary knowledge and skills. Within this five-year program, students conduct a one-year project in their third year in collaboration with various social actors: NGOs, companies, local government, research institutions, etc. The theme of the project is previously set by the social actors, and students work through the issues with four or five teammates from various specialties. During the project, students are expected to do on-the-ground research concerning the topics, to (re)define the problem, and to propose a solution for the project stakeholders. Consequently, students learn how to engage with real social issues by applying their own research skills in collaboration with other doctoral students. This transdisciplinary project can create an innovative environment for hands-on doctoral education as well as for new collaborations between academia and society.