Institutionalising a Transdisciplinary Curriculum

Implementing a successful transdisciplinary curriculum is one of the most complex challenges facing contemporary higher education. This paper explores the implementation and institutionalisation of transdisciplinary education (TDE), using the Common Core curriculum at The University of Hong Kong as a primary case study.

Key Findings on Transdisciplinary Curriculum Design

This research provides an empirical analysis of how a transdisciplinary curriculum can actively engage faculty, students, and administrators. By taking advantage of diverse disciplines, the HKU Common Core has successfully enrolled over 200,000 students and engaged hundreds of faculty members between its implementation in 2012 and 2024.

The study highlights several critical factors for success:

• Thematic Integration: Weaving themes throughout the curriculum design to maintain coherence and consistency.
• Central Funding: Financial commitments to incentivise and activate the desires of faculty to engage in interdisciplinary teaching and innovations.
• Substantial Footprint: The allocation of dedicated space and timetables, and the implementation at volume within the institutional structure, so the curriculum is nor marginalised.
• Responsive Policies: Processes that capture and adapt to the desires of students and faculty to support and sustain TDE initiatives.

Theoretical Contributions

The paper contributes to educational theory by drawing on Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari’s assemblage theory in A Thousand Plateaus. By utilising concepts such as deterritorialisation, coding, and refrains, the authors conceptualise the dynamic, often fluid process of transdisciplinary curriculum institutionalisation. This theoretical lens helps explain how educational structures can be stabilised while “inflecting” disciplinary expertise for creative innovations.

Implications for Practice and Policy

For higher education policymakers, leaders, and administrators, this model offers a robust framework for designing, implementing, and sustaining a transdisciplinary curriculum in research-intensive universities.

The findings emphasise that TDE initiatives do not need to replace disciplines; rather, they complement and thrive alongside disciplinary specialisations. Moreover, the research demonstrates how a transdisciplinary curriculum acts as a “sandbox platform”. It provides a safe space for teaching and learning experimentation, fostering creative innovation for teachers who wish to push the boundaries of standard pedagogy.

To see how this connects to broader educational strategies, you can explore my full portfolio of Research and Publications.