Thinking Across Disciplines
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THINKING ACROSS DISCIPLINES - INTERDISCIPLINARITY IN RESEARCH AND EDUCATION DEA / FBE THINKING ACROSS DISCIPLINES - INTERDISCIPLINARITY IN RESEARCH AND EDUCATION AUGUST 2008 2 FOREWORD ..................................................................................................................................... 2 OBJECTIVES AND RESULTS ............................................................................................................ 3 1. ON THE WAY TOWARD INTERDISCIPLINARITY .........................................................................15 1.1 Knowledge across borders creates value ...........................................................................15 1.2 Interdisciplinarity requires world-class research and education .........................................17 1.3 Increased need for interdisciplinarity .................................................................................18 1.4 Forces promoting interdisciplinarity ..................................................................................20 1.5 Time for action ..................................................................................................................21 2. WHAT IS INTERDISCIPLINARITY? .............................................................................................23 2.1 The need for a common understanding ..............................................................................23 2.2 What is interdisciplinary research and education? .............................................................23 2.3 Description of interdisciplinarity in practice ......................................................................26 3. INTERDISCIPLINARITY IN RESEARCH AND EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS ................................30 3.1 Knowledge institutions are important actors for interdisciplinarity .....................................30 3.2 The extent of interdisciplinarity in the research institutions ...............................................31 3.2.1. The Index of Interdisciplinarity gives new knowledge ..................................................32 3.2.2 The most interdisciplinary research communities .........................................................38 3.3 Challenges to interdisciplinarity ........................................................................................40 3.3.1 Incentives for business cooperation ............................................................................41 3.3.2 Lack of leadership focus and strategic focus ...............................................................43 3.3.3 Inadequate allocation criteria .....................................................................................46 3.3.4 Need for broader recognition of research ....................................................................48 3.3.5 Better frameworks for institutional interaction .............................................................49 3.3.6 Knowledge centers in interdisciplinary cooperation .....................................................50 4. INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH GRANTS ...............................................................................52 4.1 The research councils can create increased interdisciplinary dynamics .............................52 4.2 The extent of interdisciplinarity in research council grants ................................................53 4.3 Challenges confronting interdisciplinarity ..........................................................................57 4.3.1 Few strategic initiatives and limited interaction ...........................................................58 4.3.2 Narrow composition of councils and inadequate criteria ..............................................59 5. INTERDISCIPLINARITY IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM ...............................................................63 5.1 Interdisciplinarity must strengthen the relevance of educations .........................................63 5.2 Extent of interdisciplinarity in existing educational programs ............................................64 5.3 Interdisciplinarity in the newly established programs .........................................................70 5.4 Challenges to interdisciplinarity ........................................................................................72 DEA / FBE THINKING ACROSS DISCIPLINES - INTERDISCIPLINARITY IN RESEARCH AND EDUCATION AUGUST 2008 3 5.4.1 Lack of incentives for interdisciplinarity ......................................................................72 5.4.2 Culture and rigid structures are an impediment to interdisciplinarity .............................77 5.4.3 Accreditation lacks focus on interdisciplinarity ............................................................80 6. INTERDISCIPLINARITY STRENGTHENS KNOWLEDGE-SHARING AND QUALITY ........................82 6.1 Interdisciplinarity not a goal in itself ..................................................................................82 6.1.1 Interdisciplinary communities are more open toward cooperation.................................84 6.1.2 Interdisciplinary communities attract the most outside funding ....................................86 7. INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCES ...............................................................................................90 7.1 Introduction and background.............................................................................................90 7.2 Presentation of the 10 foreign experiences ........................................................................91 7.2.1 Ludwig-Maximillians-Universität and Technische Universität München ..........................92 7.2.2 Fachhochschule für Wirtschaft Berlin ..........................................................................94 7.2.3 Oxford University .......................................................................................................95 7.2.4 London School of Economics .....................................................................................97 7.2.5 Massachusetts Institute of Technology ........................................................................98 7.3 Presentation of 10 foreign experiences ............................................................................ 100 7.3.1 University of California, Berkeley .............................................................................. 100 7.3.2 Stanford University .................................................................................................. 102 7.3.3 Massachusetts Institute of Technology ...................................................................... 103 7.3.4 University of British Columbia .................................................................................. 105 7.3.5 Stanford University .................................................................................................. 107 8. APPENDIX: METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................. 109 8.1 Analysis of the research councils .................................................................................... 109 8.2 Analysis of education ...................................................................................................... 111 8.3 The Index of Interdisciplinarity ........................................................................................ 113 8.3..1 The empirical data on Danish research and development institutions ......................... 113 8.3.2 The Index of Interdisciplinarity.................................................................................. 114 8.3.3 Statistical calculations ............................................................................................. 116 8.3.4 Changes as a link in the merging of institutions ......................................................... 118 8.4 Questionnaire survey on interdisciplinarity ...................................................................... 120 8.4.1 The survey population .............................................................................................. 121 8.4.2 Response rate and drop out ..................................................................................... 123 Published by DEA and FBE April 2008 Graphic layout: leoglyhne.dk ForEworD DEA / FBE THINKING ACROSS DISCIPLINES - INTERDISCIPLINARITY IN RESEARCH AND EDUCATION AUGUST 2008 4 We are becoming fewer to produce the foun- working more across disciplines. By focusing dation for Europe’s welfare and prosperity. on the interdisciplinary path, we can create That is why we need to think in an alterna- some good conditions for the research and tive and new way to exploit our academic education institutions to launch new initia- competences in the best and broadest way tives. possible. We need to be wiser, when other countries and regions are cheaper. We are not dealing with changes where the individual researcher or student need to Therefore, it is also important that we are learn, know or experience a little of every- capable of thinking across disciplines in thing. Interdisciplinarity needs to build on research and educations. The frame interdis- top of the strong academic environments, ciplinarity enjoys massive attention and is to where the researcher, the teacher or the a great extent being used in the debate on student combines several different subject research and education policy as a buzzword areas in new and productive ways, so that it and with a very large