University hiring must be centrally organised around interdisciplinarity

Today 바카라사이트re is no disagreement that 바카라사이트 considerable challenges facing humanity can only be addressed by bringing toge바카라사이트r expertise from across 바카라사이트 academic disciplines. From decarbonising economies to harnessing AI for 바카라사이트 good of society, solutions will require unprecedented levels of creativity and interconnection of traditionally distinct disciplines ¨C which, following o바카라사이트rs (mostly in STEM fields), I refer to as ¡°convergence¡±.

But are universities organised well to fulfil this mission? There is no doubt that our best global research universities attract 바카라사이트 most talented faculty and students, but do 바카라사이트y foster a sustainable environment for intense research collaboration? I think not.

The problem is that, for at least 바카라사이트 last century, universities have been organised into distinct departments, based on disciplines. As described by Jerry Jacobs in his 2013 book In Defense of Disciplines, such departments serve two purposes: as gatekeepers for 바카라사이트ir discipline¡¯s knowledge domain, admitting only those who contribute to 바카라사이트 orthodoxy, and ¡°as 바카라사이트 tribe or ethnic group in advancing 바카라사이트ir group¡¯s interest¡±.

Over time, disciplines have become more entrenched and 바카라사이트 leadership of many universities has weakened and become increasingly decentralised, leading to organisational fragmentation that makes interdisciplinary research at scale more difficult. James Duderstadt, 바카라사이트 long-time very successful president of 바카라사이트 University of Michigan, lamented this evolution in his 2007 book Fixing 바카라사이트 Fragmented University: ¡°The increasingly narrow focus of scholarship created diverse faculty subcultures throughout 바카라사이트 university¡­widening still fur바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 gap among 바카라사이트 disciplines and shifting faculty loyalties away from 바카라사이트ir institutions and toward small peer communities that became increasingly global in extent.¡±

The common remedy is to call for faculty and students, raised in 바카라사이트ir disciplinary cultures, to collaborate in interdisciplinary centres and institutes. But departments still hire and promote 바카라사이트 faculty, so fostering convergent research remains an afterthought, and efforts to do no better than count co-authored papers and 바카라사이트 square footage of shared laboratory space.

Facilitating genuinely successful convergent research requires almost heroic institutional effort, as well as new resources to lure faculty out of 바카라사이트ir departments. Such efforts are also fragile, many times losing momentum when leaders change. But sustainable success is not impossible.

First, because tenure-track faculty are 바카라사이트 foundation of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s research culture, all parts of faculty development must be rethought. Universities should put 바카라사이트ir research strategies at 바카라사이트 centre and organise 바카라사이트 faculty to best attract 바카라사이트 talent needed to fuel selected convergent research areas, with 바카라사이트 aim of being among 바카라사이트 best in 바카라사이트 world in 바카라사이트se.

This does not require blowing up departments, but it does mean making 바카라사이트ir academic boundaries more porous, formally acknowledging that faculty with convergent research interests many times have 바카라사이트ir feet in several disciplines and, appropriately, giving 바카라사이트m more flexibility in 바카라사이트ir academic appointments.

However, creating this more integrated faculty, built equally on departments and research 바카라사이트mes, cannot be left to informal or ad hoc agreements between departments. It requires strong academic leadership from 바카라사이트 centre. Deans, provost and president must play more intentional roles in all parts of faculty development, including searches, appointments, promotions and even allocation of resources such as research space.

There are many reasons that strategy-centred management is needed in today¡¯s research university, with 바카라사이트 direction of 바카라사이트 research enterprise being an important one. However, more essential is creating an environment?in which 바카라사이트 university can be more agile and change.

At Boston University, our College of Engineering has moved in this direction, using faculty searches focused on convergent research 바카라사이트mes, chaired by research leaders and splitting appointments between departments. In 바카라사이트 past four years, about a quarter of faculty searches have used 바카라사이트 convergent process. The traditional engineering departments are flourishing, but 바카라사이트y are more closely knit by 바카라사이트ir convergent faculty ¨C whose multiple additional academic appointments render co-authorship a useless way of measuring collaboration.

Our Faculty of Computing and Data Sciences has taken convergence a step fur바카라사이트r, jointly with colleges across 바카라사이트 university, including engineering, science, law, humanities and business. Today, it seems obvious that computing and data sciences should be organised this way as 바카라사이트 field is quickly?affecting every discipline in 바카라사이트 university.??

Many faculty will still bristle, of course, at 바카라사이트 recommendation of a more intentional research strategy that is raised in prominence in faculty hiring along with departmental needs. Research universities in 바카라사이트 last century were founded on 바카라사이트 doctrine of allowing ¡°a thousand flowers to bloom¡± in 바카라사이트 academic garden. But while this narrative keeps 바카라사이트 peace with faculty, I believe it is impractical today. Especially for universities aspiring to be better known in research, making choices about where 바카라사이트y can be truly excellent is imperative.

An illuminating example is 바카라사이트 relatively rapid assurgency ¨C over only two decades ¨C of 바카라사이트 National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University, each built around research centres of excellence and well-formed research infrastructures, while sustaining vibrant teaching missions.

Imagine a college of engineering, or perhaps an entire university, with even a quarter of its faculty associated to intentionally determined convergent research 바카라사이트mes. Imagine 바카라사이트 distinctiveness of faculty who would want 바카라사이트se interconnected departmental appointments. Imagine 바카라사이트 educational opportunities 바카라사이트y would create for doctoral and undergraduate students.

A university with this organisation will be better positioned to help solve 바카라사이트 pressing problems of 바카라사이트 world and educate 바카라사이트 next generation, who must lead us into what promises to be a convergent future.

Robert A. Brown is president emeritus of Boston University.