The Centre for Interdisciplinary Research at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Osijek was established on 18 December 2019. The fundamental mission behind the establishment of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research is to foster cooperation among the Departments and Chairs in the fields of social sciences and humanities at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Osijek, to enhance cooperation among the constituent units of Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek across numerous scientific fields, and subsequently to strengthen and establish cooperation with universities at the national and international level.
Accordingly, the Centre’s fundamental mission is to bridge the formal divide between the social sciences and humanities and the sciences belonging to the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields as a response to the challenges of the 21st century.
The Centre’s vision is to establish and intensify communication with experts from the private sector with the aim of reversing negative employment trends and fostering the competitiveness of professionals in the social sciences and humanities. In addition, the Centre’s members will advocate an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approach to shedding light on complex social phenomena from earlier historical periods as well as social phenomena of the 21st century. The Centre’s vision also includes raising awareness among the wider public about the applicability and usefulness of the knowledge held by experts in the social sciences and humanities, as well as their market value and competitiveness in the public and private sectors. Finally, the Centre will bring together and connect professional associations from numerous fields, as well as civil society organisations.
The activities, and therefore the objectives, of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research encompass five areas:
- Submission of scientific and professional project proposals
- Organisation of scientific and professional conferences
- Publication of research papers and other publications
- Launching a scientific journal
- Organisation of public lectures, workshops, round tables and other science popularisation activities
- Organisation and hosting of cultural and artistic events