The study of the universe as a whole necessitates both disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives.Literature, history, economics, mathematics, biology, and the arts are examples of disciplines or subjects that give powerful glasses through which to understand the world.While disciplinary knowledge is an important part of global competency, many challenges of local and global importance cannot be addressed by a single disciplinary.

In order to arrive at an understanding of interdisciplinarity, the nature of disciplines themselves needs to be explored.It is said that interdisciplinary collaboration is required to investigate the ‘real world' problems that are the focus of intellectual pursuits. This is particularly true when it comes to responding to some of the most serious manifestations of unsustainable human-environment interactions, such as social injustice and wars, as well as ecosystem degradation and devastation (overfishing, loss of biodiversity, deforestation, climate change, fossil-fuel dependence, etc.).

Topics such as environmental sustainability, population growth, economic development, global conflict and cooperation, health and human development, human rights, cultural identity, and diversity call for interdisciplinary approaches.


The foundation of global competency is a thorough understanding of the world. Individuals display global competence by being aware of and curious about how the world works, which is informed by disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives.

Disciplinary knowledge and skill are necessary to interpret situations and create solutions. Strong topics are not framed as facts to be memorized (e.g., What are the top traditional foods in Mexico and Ethiopia?). Rather they introduce problems and complexities for learners to wrestle with (e.g., How do regional landscapes influence food traditions in Mexico and Ethiopia?). A strong topic is framed as to demand expertise in more than one subject, requiring that knowledge from multiple disciplines be synthesized to address the issue.


The foundation of global competency is a thorough understanding of the world. Individuals display global competence by being aware of and curious about how the world works, which is informed by disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives.


Last modified: Monday, 31 October 2022, 10:59 AM