The Art and Science Platform arose from the need to create spaces for interdisciplinary dialogue within the context of higher education. University education is generally highly compartmentalized, and the geographical distribution of the campuses (Leganés and Getafe) does not facilitate fluid dialogue among students from different disciplines. The dynamics of university life can mean that, over the course of a four-year degree program, a student may have had no contact with people outside their own field—or even outside their own major or class—even though they all belong to the same educational institution.
Furthermore, various reports (such as the Seventh World Report on Higher Education, published in February 2020) urge us to break down the artificial divide between the humanities and the sciences. The challenges of today’s world require joint and coordinated efforts between the humanities and technology. Scientific advances must be accompanied by deep reflection and understanding of their impact on societies and of how the rapid development of technology gives rise to new debates.
On the other hand, the knowledge generated at the university faces the challenge of transferring and disseminating it in formats that make the key concepts of modern science accessible to the general public, with the goal of creating a better-educated and more informed society.
All of these challenges can be addressed through art as a vehicle for energizing and structuring processes that, through creativity, lead us to new scenarios in which we can expand the boundaries of our disciplines. The Art and Science Platform aims to create a space where professionals and students from different fields can come together, where the creative process leads us to develop interdisciplinary skills and forge cross-disciplinary and innovative connections.
To this end, the platform currently has three main lines of action in place, tailored to its target audiences: students, the general public, and researchers.” By: “The creation of the UC3M Art and Science Platform was made possible thanks to the support of the Daniel and Nina Carasso Foundation.”
