As part of the EU-funded STEM4Humanities Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education project, Georgian International University GIU (official acronym: GIU) has made a bold step toward academic innovation with the recent implementation of a STEM-focused mini-course tailored for humanities educators. Designed to foster the integration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics into traditional humanities disciplines, the course brought together 10 professors – linguists/philologists and legal scholars – for an immersive, interdisciplinary learning experience.

A Curriculum Rooted in Innovation

The mini-course, led by Associate Professor, Dr. Grigol Kalandadze and Professor, Dr. Zoia Adamia, was composed of five structured modules that gradually introduced general and specific STEM knowledge, enabling professors to think critically about how these concepts could enrich their teaching methods and subject matter. The modules included:

1. STEM Skills Essence in Humanitarian Disciplines – An overview of how STEM thinking can support analytical, linguistic, and legal reasoning.
2. PBL, IBL, and PjBL – A comprehensive discussion on Problem-Based Learning (PBL), Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL), and Project-Based Learning (PjBL), and their relevance for humanities education.
3. Developing STEM Skills in Students of Humanities – Strategies and methodologies for helping students in humanities acquire valuable STEM competencies.
4. Generative AI and Other STEM Tools for Lesson Planning – Practical training in using emerging technologies like AI to enhance lesson development and delivery.
5. Summing Up: Evaluation and Self-Evaluation – A session devoted to reflective practice, allowing participants to assess both their learning progress and the course’s effectiveness.

Dynamic Learning Formats and Collaborative Exchange

In keeping with the pedagogical methods being taught, the course itself employed a mix of instructional strategies. Professors engaged in group discussions, sub-group activities, and individual tasks, mirroring the student-centered learning models explored in the course.

The sub-group sessions, organized through Zoom, allowed participants to split into specialized working groups—philologists in one, legal scholars in another—to focus on how STEM principles could be specifically tailored and applied within their respective disciplines. This approach created space for targeted dialogue and the exchange of discipline-specific strategies for implementing STEM-based instruction.

A Culture of Reflection and Integration

Each of the first four modules concluded with built-in evaluation sessions, encouraging professors to reflect on what they had learned and how they could apply it in their own academic contexts. The fifth module served as a culmination of the entire course, emphasizing evaluation and self-evaluation, and prompting participants to assess both individual learning outcomes and broader curriculum development possibilities.

This structured reflection ensured that the professors were not only absorbing information but actively shaping their understanding of interdisciplinary education through critical thought and peer collaboration.

Looking Ahead

GIU’s STEM mini-course for humanities professors is a promising model for cross-disciplinary innovation in higher education. By equipping faculty with the tools to merge STEM and humanities, the university is paving the way for a richer, more versatile academic environment—one where analytical rigor and creative thinking coexist to meet the challenges of modern education.

The program’s success underscores GIU’s commitment to educational excellence and positions it as a regional leader in progressive curriculum development. Future phases of the STEM4Humanities project will continue to build on this momentum, empowering educators to rethink the boundaries of their disciplines.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the National Agency Erasmus+ INDIRE. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. 2023-1-IT02-KA220-HED-000164647