For decades now "interdisciplinarity" has been a catchword in Western academia. University administrators have ostensibly encouraged scholars to interact with colleagues across disciplines. But has this really played out in practice, or has it remained mostly a matter of lip service? Historian Richard Foltz, whose work draws on linguistics, religious studies, archaeology, literature, comparative mythology, the arts, and other disciplines, reflects on his own efforts over four decades to break down academic boundaries.

Speaker:

Richard Foltz is a cultural historian of the broader Iranian world whose interests span from the Kurds in the west to the Tajiks in the east. He holds a Ph.D. in History and Middle East Studies from Harvard University and has taught at Brown, Columbia, and the University of Florida. He is currently a Full Professor in the Department of Religions and Cultures at Concordia University in Montréal, Canada. His books and articles have been translated into more than a dozen languages.