What are you going to do if Bird Flu hits Britain? Is there anything you can do combat Global Warming? Is there intelligent life in Outer Space? Is there intelligent life inside your computer?

In the 21st century more and more scientific problems fall across disciplinary boundaries. The future will need specialists, but it will also need scientists trained to look beyond their own fields. That's why bodies like the Institute of Physics and many leading scientists are supporting the development of i-Science. You can be a part of this by taking the BSc or MSci in Interdisciplinary Science at Leicester.

We also have a foundation degree and an outreach programme for schools.

Interdisciplinary Science is a course at the University of Leicester which is part of the Integrated Sciences inititiative from the Institute of Physics. The aim is to teach the sort of science that many of us research here as undergraduate level. It is not a replacement for other science courses, if you're sure you want to be a Physicist then you should still take a Physics course. However many current problems in Science cannot be neatly categorised.

In Leicester we have an interest in Astrobiology. That isn't simply Physics, if you're going to have any meaningful research you also need to know some Biology and Geology and probably some Chemistry and Geography too. Are GM crops dangerous? You don't need just Genetics, Geography would tell you about how far pollen can travel and Physics about how this might be contained.

Specialists will always be needed. However, there is also a dire need for scientists who can communicate across disciplines. Leicester has pioneered the Integrated Sciences concept and is the oldest established centre of its type. The success of the centre has been recognised. The Institute of Physics is now promoted a new brand of degree "Integrated Sciences" based on this course. Similar degree courses are expected to start at other universities within the next few years.