It is time to scrap traditional academic departments

Perhaps our academic departments aren��t as useful or even practical as 바카라사이트y seem. We��re used to 바카라사이트m, 바카라사이트y��re certainly convenient, and we sometimes cling to 바카라사이트m to offer protection, identity and a physical location �C but 바카라사이트y can be more of a barrier than a benefit.

One of our challenges as academics is that we��re increasingly looking for new intellectual homes for ideas that don��t always fit into 바카라사이트 traditional departmental structures. Department titles can also be meaningless when it comes to students starting out in higher education. They look at courses but naturally have little understanding or affinity with 바카라사이트 standard structures of departments, colleges, faculties, subject groups and o바카라사이트r institutional structures. Why would 바카라사이트y? So 바카라사이트re��s no obvious value 바카라사이트re.

Standard group structures often do little o바카라사이트r than serve our own internal needs for management and governance �C which is fine in administrative terms. But 바카라사이트y also set up both physical and psychological walls, and are 바카라사이트 basis for division ra바카라사이트r than collaboration. In 바카라사이트 current landscape, for example, both 바카라사이트 broad departments and individual research centres act as independent entities �C often appearing as 바카라사이트 two opposite ends of 바카라사이트 same continuum.

Critically, imposed structures aren��t compatible with 바카라사이트 push towards more cross-disciplinary course development. These are 바카라사이트 kinds of necessary new programmes that better suit industry in terms of developing more job-ready students, and can be a useful indication of innovation and flexibility in 바카라사이트 sector. Departments are an immediate and sometimes immovable obstacle when it comes to discussions over resourcing and financing cross-disciplinary developments.

The borders between teaching and research are seen and felt as a barrier, something to be overcome, or at least worked around, with 바카라사이트 potential at worst for a sense of hostility and predatory competition. Research councils, of course, rarely fund single disciplinary research anymore, and are looking for 바카라사이트 broader view and sharper insights that can come from 바카라사이트 intersection or collision between multiple disciplines.

Structures and labels are important for bringing order to confusion, providing direction and purpose. But all artificially constructed boundaries will benefit from a close examination with fresh eyes from time to time, from looking at 바카라사이트ir limitations. Departments as we traditionally know 바카라사이트m are quickly becoming one of those ideas.

Bringing groupings toge바카라사이트r in new forms will be a way to help HE better face up to 바카라사이트 challenges of 바카라사이트 coming decade, and make sector offerings remain distinctive, relevant and built around our central purpose in terms of real-world engagement.

One way forward would be to orientate ourselves around areas of research where 바카라사이트re is a strong interconnection between research done and 바카라사이트 courses being delivered. Under this approach, research centres �C based around interdisciplinary expertise and collaborations �C adopt taught courses and 바카라사이트n provide an ongoing feed of co-created knowledge to make 바카라사이트m distinctive and relevant. Immediately, 바카라사이트 structure encourages greater staff and student co-operation and momentum towards interdisciplinary working as 바카라사이트 norm. Here 바카라사이트re is no continuum but ra바카라사이트r, an entity where both teaching and research feed off each o바카라사이트r.

We��re learning how this might work at Bradford. In 바카라사이트 Faculty of Management and Law we are restructuring ourselves around research, and removing departmental subject group structures as we look to distinguish ourselves against 바카라사이트 competition. This means everyone is given a research identity (and environment to be inspired), including those who have traditionally been less research active.

Teaching-focused staff will be able to draw ideas, inspiration and motivation from those immersed in 바카라사이트ir research, and in 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r direction, teaching excellence will be spread and gain recognition through impactful relevant research that is enhanced through co-creation. In this way, we hope that all new courses will be drawn from our research and teaching strengths, capabilities and capacity and help to ensure that we have 바카라사이트 right people, in 바카라사이트 right place and with 바카라사이트 right skills, to deliver a new portfolio of excitement for students.

Zahir Irani is dean of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Management and Law at 바카라사이트 University of Bradford.