JCR1000Y: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Addressing Global Challenges

In order to create sustainable solutions to the world's most important challenges, global development professionals must reach beyond the traditional boundaries of their field of expertise combining scientific/technological, business, and social ideas in an approach known as integrated innovation. In this project-based course, students from multiple disciplines (engineering, management, health, and social sciences) will work together — using participatory methods with an international partner — to address a locally relevant challenge. Students will be expected to communicate with and understand team members from other disciplines, integrate their knowledge and experience of global issues in order to: a) identify and analyze the strengths and weaknesses of existing technical approaches to addressing the challenge, b) analyze the characteristics of existing social frameworks (ethical, cultural, business, political) c) identify gaps and needs d) propose an appropriate integrated solution approach that incorporates an analysis of the challenge through these disparate lenses. The final deliverables for addressing the challenge at the end of the school year will include: a prototype of the end product, a business plan, a policy analysis, and analysis of impact on global health.

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