Britain’s first new university for 40 years will open in London next year offering a single degree that pioneers a polymath approach.

University to offer one interdisciplinary degree

Backed by a variety of businesses, the London Interdisciplinary School (LIS) will offer the one, bachelor of arts and science degree spanning science, technology, arts & design and humanities.The first 120 students will enrol in September 2020, will live in the same accommodation for the first year, and will get ten weeks of paid work experience a year."Today’s problems are more interconnected, complex and urgent than ever before," says the university. "At LIS, we're building a university that will give students the skills to go and tackle some of the most complex problems that we face in the world."Real world problems don’t respect boundaries of subject or industry. Our interdisciplinary approach teaches you the most fundamental theories and models from across the arts and sciences, and then empowers you to make new connections and find new solutions."

Degree receives collaboration from leading businesses and institutions

Consultants McKinsey, Innocent Drinks, Virgin, Funding Circle and the Metropolitan Police are the first organisations to back LIS, with others expected to follow in the coming months.The university is being headed by Ed Fidoe, a former McKinsey executive and co-founder of a free school in East London. Carl Gombrich, who established the interdisciplinary arts and science programme at UCL, has been appointed head of curriculum design.Mr Fidoe said the LIS would produce a different type of graduate. "The education system is maddeningly narrow from the point students choose their A-levels. We have lots of great universities in the UK but they are all very similar, offering similar, single discipline courses."That is why top (business) organisations want to back us, because we want to do things differently. Among employers there is a genuine demand for students who have a polymathic way of thinking."Companies have to think about a vast range of materials, the impact on the environment, where it should be manufactured, the supply chain. These problems cut across disciplinary boundaries. They need people who are not afraid of science and comfortable with the arts and humanities."

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Organisations demand students who have polymathic way of thinking

Student admissions to LIS will be via the UK's Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) but there will be no minimum A-level tariff. Instead, applicants will undergo tests to assess their problem-solving abilities, their reaction to feedback, and their ability to work as part of a team.Once a student is accepted for the course, he or she will also be given "personalised, paid work placements at some of the UK’s most prestigious employers and exciting startups", says LIS."This isn’t a regular internship," the fledgling university adds. "You’ll help these organisations improve their positive impact on society. You’ll build a network across a range of sectors, develop an idea of where you want to focus and get paid while doing it."Learn more about this new University and course at https://www.londoninterdisciplinaryschool.org.Subscribe to Relocate Extra, our monthly newsletter, to get all the latest international assignments and global mobility news.Relocate’s new Global Mobility Toolkit provides free information, practical advice and support for HR, global mobility managers and global teams operating overseas.Access hundreds of global services and suppliers in our Online Directory

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