The Tübingen Forum for Science and Humanities aims to encourage interdisciplinary dialogue, by crossing institutional and disciplinary boundaries. Indeed, the growing gap between the natural sciences and the humanities since the 19th century has divided university into two spheres. With its inclusive, interdisciplinary and open approach, the Forum is committed to promoting the interdisciplinary dialogue among (doctoral) students from various fields, different career stage and backgrounds.

Despite the introduction of new interdisciplinary courses of study, most of them at the University of Tübingen are structured on a strict, classic disciplinary basis. The dynamics of specialization, especially at the level of master’s studies, may lead to a perception of science as a static and rigid juxtaposition of various, unrelated disciplines. Further, during the PhD, one's academic work takes place within a narrow disciplinary focus, preventing cross-fertilization between different areas of research.

We take as our mission to promote, consolidate, implement and expand interdisciplinary thinking, preparing a more inclusive, diverse and open future for the academic research.

The Forum aims at providing students a dedicated space to experience and implement disciplinary diversity, and to reflect on the foundations as well as the limits of their „own” science. Advanced students and talented, ‘raising stars’ researchers are thus invited to work shoulder by shoulder to develop interdisciplinary methods on timely issues. Promoting interdisciplinary collaboration in teaching and research may help tackle social problems which cannot be addressed by individual disciplines in isolation.

The main program is the “Studienkolleg”, a year-long certificate program. Twenty (doctoral) students from all fields of study take part in a seminar and lecture program and work in small teams on particular interdisciplinary research projects. The Forum connects international students and young researchers through Summer & Winter schools and organizes academic conferences on interdisciplinary timely and fundamental questions.