Learning and Connecting at the Combining Two Cultures Conference

From 26-28 January 2018, a group of sixteen enthusiastic Arts & Science students spent the weekend at a conference hosted by the University of Waterloo’s Knowledge Integration Program. Initiated by McMaster Arts & Science students in 2010, “Combining Two Cultures” (C2C) is an annual conference for undergraduate students in interdisciplinary programs. McMaster Arts & Science delegates for this year’s conference included Luiza Araujo, Anna Buhrmann, Zoe Davidson, Angel Huang, Adrienne Klein, Sophia Kooy, Emma Mulholland, Alana Park, Sydney Potts, Avery Qurashi, Sarah Sandor, Melissa Shiff, Gillian Vasoff, Yimeng Wang, Gillian Young, and Tracey Yu. These students spent the weekend building community with students in interdisciplinary programs at universities in Waterloo, Guelph, Windsor, Toronto, and Michigan as they participated in working groups, skills sessions, and social events. Second-year students Luiza Araujo and Angel Huang took on special leadership roles as facilitators for their working group, “Internet Blues and Fake News: How Cognitive Biases Affect You.”

One of the conference’s highlights was an expert panel that featured Dr. Jean Wilson, the Program Director of McMaster Arts & Science, who, along with colleagues from the University of Waterloo and Quest University, shared insights on interdisciplinarity and the joys of learning. Consistent with the Knowledge Integration program’s strong reputation for innovation, conference delegates this year also participated in challenge-based activities that asked them to imagine new designs for products such as backpacks.

After a weekend of learning and connection, McMaster’s delegates look forward to attending C2C 2019 at the University of Guelph!