This seminar prepares PhD candidates for the committee examination in January 2026 by sharpening their theoretical frameworks, strengthening their transdisciplinary methods, and practicing the precise presentation of their research projects. Within the framework of the Art x Science and School for Transformation programs at the University of Applied Arts Vienna, in cooperation with Johannes Kepler University Linz, the seminar promotes innovative research approaches that address concrete societal challenges in ecological, social, technological, legal, and political domains.

Building on Guillaume Collet’s (ed., 2021) reflections on Deleuze and Guattari, the seminar emphasizes that transdisciplinary approaches do not flatten differences between disciplines, but rather enable productive “resonances” that respect disciplinary rigor while generating new insights. In a similar vein, Vienni-Baptista et al. (2022) stress that the successful integration of the humanities, cultural studies, and social sciences into transdisciplinary research requires explicit measures in evaluation, funding, and collaboration. Schmohl and Philipp (eds., 2021) further demonstrate that transdisciplinary research and teaching aim to generate knowledge in real societal problem contexts. For PhD candidates, this opens the possibility not only to ground their theoretical and methodological approaches scientifically, but also to further develop them in ways that contribute—through collaboration with extra-university actors—to action-oriented solutions. In this way, the seminar combines academic rigor with openness to the dynamic processes of societal transformation.

Through presentations, peer feedback, and simulated examination situations, participants develop methodological reflexivity, situate their projects within relevant theoretical contexts, and explore how transdisciplinary research can design new ways of thinking and acting together with societal actors. The seminar equips candidates to convincingly articulate the contribution of their work to scientific, academic, and societal transformation processes.

Assessment & Requirements Active Participation (40%): Regular attendance, engagement in seminar discussions, peer feedback, collaborative exercises.

Research Presentation (30%): Structured presentation of the candidate’s PhD project (20 minutes), including methodology, theoretical framework, and artistic research.

Examination Preparation Dossier (30%): Written portfolio (max. 5 pages) summarizing research objectives, methodological approaches, and preliminary results, to serve as rehearsal material for the examination.

• Collet, G. (Hg.) (2021).Deleuze, Guattari, and the Problem of Transdisciplinarity. London/New York: Bloomsbury.

• Schmohl, T. & Philipp, T. (Hg.) (2021).Handbuch Transdisziplinäre Didaktik. Wiesbaden: Springer VS.

• Vienni-Baptista, B., Fletcher, I., Spaapen, J., Wallace, D. & Ohlmeyer, J. (2022).Shaping the Integration of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences in Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Research. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.