Interdisciplinary  Higher  Educa4on:  Cri4cism,  Challenges  and    Obstacles  

               Abstract  •  During   the   past   two   decades,   extensive   a5en6ons   have  

been   paid   to   interdisciplinary   ac6vi6es   by   educa6onal  ins6tu6ons  and  according  to  the  corresponding  needs,   it  has   also   been   extended   to   ‘interdisciplinary   higher  educa6on’.   In  other  words,   interdisciplinary  studies  and  ac6vi6es   are   now   a   focus   of   a5en6on   for   ins6tu6ons  promo6ng   learning   and   teaching,   as   well   as  organiza6onal   and   social   en66es   concerned  with   higher  educa6on.   However,   they   are   prac6cally   facing  mul6faceted   cri6cism,   obstacles,   and   challenges.   This  descrip6ve   –   analy6cal   paper   which   emphasizes   on  interdisciplinary   higher   educa6on,   maintains   that   the  most   important   obstacles   and   challenges   faced   by  interdisciplinary  ac6vi6es  in  the  past  two  decades  can  be  d iv ided   into   three   major   types ;   “cu l tura l” ,  “organiza6onal”   and   “professional”.   In   conclusion,  par6cular   cri6cisms   and   challenges   to   interdisciplinary  programs  in  social  sciences  and  the  humani6es  have  been  explained.  

•  Keywords:   Higher   Educa6on,   Interdisciplinarity,  interdisciplinary   Studies,   Educa6onal     Sciences  Challenges,    Cri6cism.    

Khorsandi Taskoh, Ali PhD. Candidate, Edu. Policy

akhorsa@uwo.ca March 21, 2011