Challenging future generations
Future generations face unprecedented challenges; climate change, resource depletion, socio-economic and health inequalities. Systemic structural transitions are urgently needed. We are the Centre for Unusual Collaborations, part of the alliance between Technical University Eindhoven, Wageningen University and Research, Utrecht University and University Medical Center Utrecht.
We are convinced that the next big innovations for societal impact are to be found through unusual collaborations in research: through the interactions that push us outside our disciplinary comfort zones, and encourage us to think differently about problems and possibly solutions.
CUCo’s mission is to facilitate these unusual collaborations.
CUCo news
News from Spark and UCo teams
Which pitfalls do researchers encounter in interdisciplinary collaborations, and why is interdisciplinary research so vital in overcoming the challenges of our age? A journalist from DUB, Utrecht University’s independent news site, attended the recent screening of CUCo’s documentary, 1 + 1 = 3, which takes a closer look at the process of interdisciplinary collaboration within the Structures of Strength team.
At the end of last year, Ohad Ben Shimon approached CUCo with the question: can I do fieldwork at CUCo? As we didn’t yet have a role to facilitate that, we needed to create one. We’re proud to introduce Ohad here – as our first unusual researcher-in-residence!
Corinne Lamain and Jillian Student, writing for Integration and Implementation Insights (i2Insights), highlight the power of embodied and creative practices like dance and poetry in bridging diverse forms of knowledge
We are looking for a student (bachelor’s, master’s or PhD candidate) that can support a solid knowledge base on the work of the Centre for Unusual Collaborations.
CUCo declared 2024 as its year of knowledge integration and started a collaboration with Annemarie Horn, Assistant Professor Inter & Transdisciplinary Research and Education. We interviewed Annemarie to explore our shared quest to understand knowledge integration and deepen our understanding together!
2023 was another eventful year for the Centre for Unusual Collaborations. Four new teams emerged through Spark and seven Unusual Collaborations were funded. Along the way, we gained more insight into interdisciplinary collaboration. Please read CUCo’s annual report 2023.
The Centre for Unusual Collaborations is proud to announce the start of six fantastic Unusual Collaborations! Please meet the teams
Think of academic funding schemes, and immediately one's mind goes to the grant call's theme, the topic, the problem. But that sort of focus alone can reinforce path-dependency and hinder the inclusion of new and divergent perspectives.
Jessica is one of CUCo’s founding board members and left the board in 2022. In this interview she reflects on her time at CUCo and looks ahead at its future. Most importantly, we also learn what her favorite animal is…
Meghann Ormond is asked about her views on interdisciplinarity, CUCo, and we find out whether she has a favorite animal!
Pooyan Tamimi Arab is asked about his views on interdisciplinarity, CUCo, and we find out whether he has a favorite animal!
The CUCo training programme team shares their vision on training researchers for unusual collaborations
Max Birk is asked about his views on interdisciplinarity, CUCo, and we find out whether he has a favorite animal!
Upcoming events
April 24: EWUU alliance conference
May 30-31: Shapeshifters symposium
Follow us on Twitter to stay up to date about our events!
“(…) in this way, CUCo was an experiment. How can we research through a culture of care and collaboration?”
— Dr. Jessica Duncan, Founding Board Member of CUCo and Associate Professor at WUR. Quote is from her Board exit interview. Read on here.
Newsletter
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Our next newsletter will be published in early May.
Contact
The Centre for Unusual Collaborations
Vening Meineszgebouw C
Princetonlaan 6
Utrecht, 3584CB
The Netherlands
All questions and queries can be sent to hello@unusualcollaborations.nl