Interdisciplinary collaboration - a strategic priority
As part of the school’s strategic planning process, each department has spent autumn 2019 developing a whitepaper outlining the priorities and activities in 2020. Interdisciplinary collaboration is a shared priority across departments - in terms of both research and education.
Based on the strategy of Aarhus BSS, the department whitepapers focus on education, research, internationalisation and external relations. Within these areas, all departments outline a set of priorities and activities that they will focus on in the year to come. These include topics such as first-year dropout rates, recruitment, quality of research output, and external funding.
However, some strategic focus areas are shared by all departments, e.g. contributing to interdisciplinary collaboration at the school - in both research and education.
Dean Thomas Pallesen sees great potential in strengthening the interdisciplinary collaboration across the school:
"When you collaborate with people from different fields you do not weaken the core academic fields. Rather you use each field to strengthen the others,” he says. “And that’s exactly what we do so well here at Aarhus BSS. The research that lies in the interface between business and social sciences contributes significantly to solving the complex challenges of society. These challenges often demand solutions that draw on several academic fields.”
Centres with interdisciplinary DNA
Establishing interdisciplinary research centres is one way of creating fertile ground for research and courses that extend beyond traditional academic boundaries. And at Aarhus BSS, two interdisciplinary research centres have recently seen the light of day.
In May 2018, the Crown Prince Frederik Center for Public Leadership was inaugurated. Today, the centre has launched a number of interdisciplinary research projects in the field of management drawing on researchers from political science, psychology, management and economics.
On 1 January this year, a new Centre for Integrative Business Psychology opened its doors. Here, researchers will study topics such as consumer behaviour, nudging, business ethics and sustainability. The centre is anchored at the Department of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences, but the steering committee includes researchers from the Department of Management and the Department of Economics and Business Economics. The centre will hold a kickoff meeting on 27 March, which is open to everyone.
The interdisciplinary research will also be applied in the teaching and will contribute to developing the school’s degree programme portfolio and the students' academic competences.
About the departments' white papers:
- Form part of Aarhus BSS’ strategic planning process and contribute to the school fulfilling its set goals.
- Are developed each autumn following the school’s overall strategic follow-up process
- Explicate and zoom in on the departments’ priorities and activities for the year to come.
Would you like to know more?
Read more about the strategy at Aarhus BSS