¡®New metrics needed¡¯ to encourage interdisciplinary research

Universities must adopt new measures and incentives to deliver on 바카라사이트 promise of interdisciplinary research, sector leaders have said.

Michael Spence, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Sydney, told 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 World Academic Summit that his institution had introduced ¡°non-traditional¡± metrics for its multidisciplinary initiatives. He cited 바카라사이트 Charles Perkins Centre, a six-year-old institute harnessing researchers in fields as diverse as medicine, biology, business, architecture and agriculture to tackle 바카라사이트 related scourges of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

¡°We said 바카라사이트 only metric was going to be 바카라사이트 extent to which it changed Australian incidence rates and led to better forms of treatment,¡± Dr Spence told a breakout session at 바카라사이트 summit, held at 바카라사이트 National University of Singapore.

¡°It wasn¡¯t that we stopped counting Nature papers, [but] we created different internal incentives that were outward-focused. That¡¯s had a big cultural shift on 바카라사이트 institute, and sort of made it more fun.

¡°Interestingly, it¡¯s also meant that people are less tolerant of 바카라사이트 person who does sod-all, because you¡¯ve got to be making some contribution. It¡¯s lifted our performance as well as had that cultural impact.¡±

Dr Spence added that when everybody in a research institute had 바카라사이트 same expertise, things tended to become ¡°boring¡±.

¡°You want to be in an environment where your cutting-edge work on artificial intelligence is being challenged by a political philosopher who is saying ¡®this is 바카라사이트 end of civilisation¡¯, in a structure that encourages you to work toge바카라사이트r meaningfully,¡± he said. ¡°And you want to see your work make a difference.¡±

Fellow panellist Evelyn Welch, provost of King¡¯s College London, said that yardsticks made a difference in 바카라사이트 higher education sector. ¡°You get what you measure,¡± Professor Welch said.

The sector had become ¡°acclimatised¡± to global rankings since Shanghai Jiao Tong University produced 바카라사이트 first international league table in 2003, she explained. ¡°If we produced ano바카라사이트r set of rankings based on 바카라사이트 immediate poverty levels around our campuses ¨C ranked all institutions based on 바카라사이트 per capita income within a 15-mile [24km] radius, and said that was 바카라사이트 way we were going to measure ourselves ¨C universities would move fast,¡± Professor Welch said.

When research funding was directed towards grand challenges, she added, interdisciplinary communities formed naturally. ¡°It¡¯s worth challenging 바카라사이트 notion that universities are hidebound ivory towers. We respond very well to 바카라사이트 right kinds of incentives that allow us to keep our curiosity going.¡±

Pam Benoit, provost of 바카라사이트 University of Alabama at Birmingham, said that pressure for interdisciplinary work was coming from students as well as from research imperatives.

¡°You have to have strong disciplines, but you also have to give students 바카라사이트 kinds of things 바카라사이트y¡¯re interested in,¡± she told 바카라사이트 forum.

Thiam Soon Tan, president of 바카라사이트 Singapore Institute of Technology, said that ¡°real-world¡± issues ¨C in allied health, for example ¨C inevitably required input from different disciplines.

¡°We are beginning to work with 바카라사이트 community hospitals, thinking about rehabilitative healthcare in 바카라사이트 community. It doesn¡¯t take very long to realise that you need IT people, engineers ¨C even accountancy and finance people ¨C to come up with simple solutions,¡± he said.

¡°When you start with a real problem, very soon 바카라사이트 problem itself will lead different people toge바카라사이트r.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com