Interfaculty

Interfaculty refers to activities and initiatives that involve collaboration across two or more faculties or schools within a university. The term covers programs, research projects, curricula, and administrative structures that span disciplinary boundaries. Interfaculty arrangements are intended to pool expertise, resources, and perspectives to address complex problems that do not fit neatly within a single discipline.

Typical forms include interfaculty or cross-faculty degree programs and certificates, joint supervision of theses, shared courses and seminars, and the creation of interfaculty research centers or institutes. Interfaculty initiatives may also support policy studies, sustainable development, health sciences, and humanities projects that benefit from multiple viewpoints.

Governance is usually handled by interfaculty committees or boards that coordinate curriculum design, research agendas, and funding. Agreements or memoranda of understanding define responsibilities, credit transfer rules, staff appointments, and intellectual property arrangements. Implementation can require negotiations over calendars, space, and budget allocations.

Benefits of interfaculty work include expanded methodological approaches, enhanced collaboration opportunities, and access to larger pools of funding and students. It can foster innovation by combining theories and methods from different fields and prepare students for interdisciplinary careers.

Challenges commonly encountered include administrative complexity, differing admission and degree requirements across faculties, competition for resources, and cultural differences between departments. Successful interfaculty efforts typically rely on formal governance structures, clear incentives, and ongoing communication.