Times Higher Education (THE) and Schmidt Science Fellows have partnered to recognise, incentivise, and celebrate interdisciplinary science in higher education across the world.
The two organisations aim to work together to develop a new Interdisciplinary Science Ranking to improve scientific excellence and collaboration amongst universities. The project aims to provide the sector with data to measure and benchmark achievement in scientific research that crosses disciplinary boundaries to recognise and reward universities leading on interdisciplinary science to help promote good practice and incentivise interdisciplinarity.
As a first step towards a ranking, THE and Schmidt Science Fellows are rolling out a series of activities in support of interdisciplinarity across the sciences including ‘Interdisciplinary Science Ranking: preliminary analysis’, a white paper which explores the data gathered by THE from participating global universities to be released in mid-October.
In addition, Dr Megan Kenna, Executive director of Schmidt Science Fellows, will speak at two sessions at THE’s World Academic Summit which takes place at the University of Sydney from Tuesday 26 to Thursday 28 September.
Dr Kenna will join Duncan Ross, THE’s Chief data officer and Billy Wong, THE’s Lead data scientist, for a data-oriented session where they will discuss the preliminary analysis, including their methodology, learnings, challenges, issues and points of interest on Tuesday 26 September. Dr Kenna will also join a further panel on Leadership reflections: Building multidisciplinary research from the ground up.
Both organisations will collect a revised and refined data between January and March 2024, with the aspiration to publish a full Interdisciplinary Science Ranking in 2024.
Universities will be able to use insights from the rankings to assess their own performance in interdisciplinary science against their peers, which aims to facilitate change in global science by supporting high-impact research.
Duncan Ross, THE’s Chief data officer, said:
“Times Higher Education is absolutely thrilled about this association, which will help progress scientific collaboration and research in the higher education sector, and beyond, in so many ways.
“The new and groundbreaking Interdisciplinary Science Ranking will enable universities to benchmark their interdisciplinary scientific work, which we hope will spur far greater collaboration in universities and between universities both locally and globally.
“THE also looks forward to working with, and learning from, Schmidt Science Fellows, which is a highly innovative and collaborative philanthropic scientific organisation.”
Universities worldwide are adopting interdisciplinary approaches to boost innovation and to make breakthrough discoveries to help solve the world’s biggest challenges, which requires the skills and techniques from a broad range of science subjects.
Dr Megan Kenna, Executive director of Schmidt Science Fellows, said:
“We believe in the power of interdisciplinary science to accelerate discoveries to benefit the world, and drive innovation that improves quality of life for all. Working with the data and ranking experts at THE is one the most effective ways we can celebrate and recognise the institutions that are doing this well and help all universities assess how they can encourage more disciplinary-crossing research and innovation in the future.”
Tickets for THE’s World Academic Summit are available to buy here. At the summit, THE’s World University Ranking 2024 will be launched on Wednesday 27 September at 15:00 UK time.
About Schmidt Science Fellows: Delivered in partnership with the Rhodes Trust and funded by Eric and Wendy Schmidt, Schmidt Science Fellows helps scientists solve bigger problems faster by identifying, developing, and amplifying the next generation of science leaders, building a community of scientists and supporters of interdisciplinary science, and leveraging this network to drive sector-wide change.
***ENDS***