The OPSIDIAN training program is to acquire and apply the transversal skills necessary to integrate:
- Interdisciplinarity - bilateral interaction of several disciplines
- Diversity - scientific and/or identity heterogeneity in research teams
Skills or "Power Skills" include, among others: communication, listening, emotional intelligence, leadership, teamwork management, and conflict management.
These skills are put into practice in authentic situations actively involving trainees in their training in five fields of engineering: biomedical, civil, industrial, computer, and mechanical.
As well as in the humanities and social sciences and several other complementary disciplines, such as pedagogy, circus arts, technological arts, management, kinesiology, linguistics, dentistry, music, speech therapy, and audiology and rehabilitation.
Power Skills are skills actively sought after by universities, industries and governments. They are transferable and scalable and will give interns a decisive advantage in their future employment prospects.
OPSIDIAN will offer a unique and innovative training model for graduate and postgraduate engineering students involving collaboration, interaction, and innovation within interdisciplinary and diverse teams in science and engineering. OPSIDIAN has the ambition to transfer its training model to other Canadian universities from coast to coast.
