BIOL3905

This course is open to undergraduates from all disciplines and will appeal to students with a broad interest in the creative process and understanding innovation of the past and present. Students will examine innovation across a variety of disciplines and consider how solutions to problems facing society require creativity, collaboration, and new ways of thinking. In particular, we will explore how environments can foster innovation, particularly in the Swedish context by traveling to Stockholm for the course. We examine the reasons behind Sweden’s ranking (#2 in 2023) on the Global Innovation Index, as well as the Nobel Prize, international awards bestowed by Swedish institutions that recognize significant academic, cultural, and scientific advances. As a learning abroad seminar, students will learn about their level of intercultural competence and strategies to increase their competence, as well as engage in a practical experience of navigating another culture in an intentional and reflective way.
An important part of this course is immersing within Swedish culture to better understand its role facilitating an innovative environment in a Scandinavian context. Swedish innovation and culture will be explored across disciplines, such as the arts, education, science, and technology, through readings, lectures, and experiences in-country to various sites, including the Vasa Museum, Nobel Museum, Swedish History Museum, and business visits. Through examining innovation through the Swedish lens and across disciplines, students will emerge with an understanding about how organizational and government practices foster innovation in a country beyond the United States.

Global Perspectives

Every Summer