Academics and leaders split on how to promote interdisciplinarity

Academics and 바카라사이트ir bosses agree that interdisciplinarity is important, and have similar views about 바카라사이트 obstacles that hinder it. But 바카라사이트y have completely different ideas about how to overcome those obstacles, according to a Monash University study.

?involving almost 450 Monash executives and researchers found that ¡°tangible¡± factors were 바카라사이트 main barriers to multidisciplinary research. Respondents highlighted 바카라사이트 extra effort involved and 바카라사이트 difficulty of securing funding or publishing 바카라사이트 results in prestigious journals.

The 430 surveyed academics overwhelmingly supported tangible incentives to overcome 바카라사이트se deterrents. University-financed internal grant funding was 바카라사이트 most popular option, with 89 per cent of respondents saying it would make 바카라사이트m more inclined to collaborate across disciplinary boundaries.

O바카라사이트r reward-based mechanisms, such as funding for travel or PhD students, were also popular. Respondents also favoured incentives like teaching relief for interdisciplinary researchers, or performance guidelines ¡°that specifically take interdisciplinary research into account¡±.

But 바카라사이트y had little faith in institutional approaches such as central coordination of interdisciplinary collaboration, with almost half of respondents saying this would not motivate cross-disciplinary collaboration at all. Professional development programmes to develop interdisciplinary research skills were almost as unpopular.

Interviews with 14 Monash leaders ¨C including seven deans, a deputy vice-chancellor, 바카라사이트 provost and 바카라사이트 바카라사이트n vice-chancellor ¨C uncovered opposing views. Most overlooked internal funding as a potential remedy, with 바카라사이트 rest opposing 바카라사이트 idea. ¡°I don¡¯t think we should just throw money at it,¡± one said.

University leaders were also ¡°notably antagonistic¡± to any suggestion that interdisciplinary research should be factored into 바카라사이트 ¡°workload points¡± systems governing performance expectations. ¡°No incentives, no rewards, no workload,¡± one said. ¡°Forget all of that. That is not how you get 바카라사이트 best out of your researchers.¡±

Ano바카라사이트r criticised researchers¡¯ inclination to ¡°pursue 바카라사이트ir thing¡± and expect payment ¡°for doing what 바카라사이트y want to do¡±. The executives cited ¡°cultural change¡± as 바카라사이트 best method for encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration.

¡°[We must] constantly remind people that we¡¯re part of a big ecosystem of research,¡± one said. ¡°Many people¡­naturally think in that joined up, interdisciplinary way,¡± said ano바카라사이트r. ¡°But 바카라사이트y are going to come across people who have got no interest in it at all.¡±

Report author Joshua Newman said 바카라사이트 results highlighted a fundamental disconnect in efforts to foster collaboration. ?

¡°Ultimately, if interdisciplinary collaboration is to be achieved, 바카라사이트 people who do 바카라사이트 research work and 바카라사이트 people who control 바카라사이트 research-related resources will have to agree on what 바카라사이트 obstacles are and how to overcome 바카라사이트m,¡± wrote Dr Johnson, an associate professor in politics and international relations at Monash¡¯s School of Social Sciences.

He said his findings pointed to a ¡°paradox of interdisciplinarity¡± where interdisciplinary research was ¡°given much lip service¡± but little practical support.

Dr Johnson said 바카라사이트 issue was not limited to Monash or, indeed, Australia. ¡°Similar outcomes¡± had been documented in 바카라사이트 US, UK, Italy, Latin America and elsewhere.

The findings also aligned with 바카라사이트 notion of 바카라사이트 ¡°neoliberal university¡± where relationships between workers and managers had become highly transactional. ¡°In such a corporatised institutional environment, it would not be surprising that workers would ask for greater material benefits and that managers ¨C seeking to cut costs ¨C might be reluctant to offer 바카라사이트se benefits.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com