About Inter-Disciplinary.Net
Started in 1999, Inter-Disciplinary.Net was founded and continues to be run by Dr Rob Fisher. Rob is formerly Course Leader for Theology and Head of Philosophy at Westminster College, Oxford, United Kingdom, where he worked for 12 years.

Inter-Disciplinary.Net grew in part out of a growing sense of complete disillusionment with the state of higher education and in equal part with a passionate commitment to inter-disciplinary dialogue as being the only credible way forward for research.

The sense of disillusionment sprang from the introduction of managerialism, the growing loss of collegiality, the inappropriate but nevertheless wholesale uses of business models in Higher Education, and the consequent consumerisation of both education itself as well as those 'clients' (i.e., students) who now purchase this 'product'.

Inter-Disciplinary.Net is founded on the time honoured motto: education for education's sake. It is something that is worth doing because it is inherently valuable, not because it is something that is 'worth' (fiscally) doing. It is a not-for-profit venture where surplus resources are directed toward starting and growing new projects.

Rob also became increasingly aware of and frustrated by the narrowness of subject disciplines and the inability of subject specialists to raise their eyes above or beyond the horizons of their own territory. Some of the most refreshing and exciting conversations came through the realisation that people in other fields and areas were working on precisely the same issues - and could throw fascinating, stimulating and poignant insights into one's own thinking and research. There is nothing more refreshing than looking at one's own work through the eyes of another, or being able to share perspectives with people from other professions who are working in similar areas. The possibilities for creative and innovative research are enormous!

Rob took voluntary redundancy from his position and started Inter-Disciplinary.Net to be both a way of working as well as a place where such conversations could be encouraged, developed and supported. Over the past five years, Inter-Disciplinary.Net has grown into a global network of scholars and professionals from all contexts and backgrounds who share the same vision of what education can be and the sheer exciting potential of having the chance to talk and engage with people from areas other than one's own. A core group of people have become project leaders and steering group members - people who want to get involved at a deeper level with the various projects being developed and who have become 'bitten' by the inter-disciplinary 'bug'!

This is just a brief 'potted' history of the origins of this network. I am always happy to talk further with people who wish to know more! The individual project web sites will also give you a good idea of the diversity of projects which have emerged over the past few years. And of course, if you have an idea for a project, don't hesitate to get in touch.

Contact
Rob can be contacted in any of the following ways; callers at the office are strictly by appointment only.