Foster interdisciplinary innovation among social sciences and global studies

University Priority

Bringing Scholars Together

When different disciplines interact with one another, new solutions emerge.

The reconstruction of the Jacobs Center into Northwestern’s social science and global studies hub will stimulate new collaborations for liberal arts, policy research and more.

School of Education and Social Policy

SESP is an interdisciplinary school of influential scholars and dynamic students who examine the well-being of people and institutions across the lifespan. Together, the school's contributions across the landscapes of education and policy are catalysts of broad and meaningful change for individuals and systems alike.

Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences

Weinberg brings a multitude of disciplines together under its roof for interdisciplinary teaching, learning and research. Weinberg's emphasis on interdisciplinary thinking equips students and researchers to engage complex problems with creative solutions.

Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs

The Buffett Institute fosters interdisciplinary research and teaching about the world beyond the borders of the United States. It supports cutting-edge international scholarship and global engagement across Northwestern’s undergraduate, graduate and professional schools.

Institute for Policy Research

IPR is an interdisciplinary public policy research institute that works closely with other schools and departments. It stimulates and supports social science research on significant public policy issues and disseminates the findings widely—to students, scholars, policymakers and the public.

Meet Some of Our Experts

It takes great minds to work together and find new solutions.

Meet the inspiring faculty who are behind the ideas and actions that improve society. From classrooms to Congress, our experts make a difference in the world.

George Marios Angeletos

Angeletos is a macroeconomist and applied theorist whose research focuses on behavioral frictions, business cycles, and fiscal and monetary policy. He is a fellow of the Econometric Society, a member of the Academy of Athens and a recipient of a Sloan Foundation fellowship along with multiple NSF grants.

Neha Jain

Jain is the Deputy Director of the Northwestern Buffet Institute for Global Affairs. Her scholarship focuses on international law, human rights law, comparative law, and criminal law.

Uri Wilensky

Wilensky is the creator of the award-winning NetLogo, the most widely used agent-based modeling environment. He is the winner of the 2025 Yidan Prize for Education Research, the world’s largest prize in education.

Highlights

Learn about Northwestern’s interdisciplinary innovations.

Researching climate governance and solutions

A delegation of more than a dozen Northwestern students and faculty attended the 29th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Creating meaningful summer experiences

During the summer, the Global Learning Office’s Global Engagement Studies Institute takes eligible students to countries including Costa Rica, Morocco, Uganda and more, providing real-world experience while earning Northwestern credit.

Interdisciplinary research and analysis

As a hub for humanities research, collaboration, and training, the Alice Kaplan Institute for the Humanities fosters essential critical perspectives, society-shaping insights, and formative learning.