6 July 2010

John Spoehr

Australia must build disciplinary bridges that span intellectual and institutional divides for future prosperity and sustainability.

A new report - Connecting Ideas - collaborative innovation in a complex world - prepared by the Australian Institute for Social Research at the University of Adelaide explores the nexus between the physical sciences and other disciplines and why it is important.

The central challenge identified by the report is the need to value and harness the contributions of all disciplines in seeking to generate innovative solutions to complex problems. In recent decades science, technology, engineering and mathematics have been regarded as central to innovation and national development processes. The contribution of the humanities, arts and social sciences on the other hand has often been viewed as enabling rather than central to these processes. However, to respond sensitively and appropriately to human needs requires sophisticated collaboration between the disciplines.

South Australia's Strategic Plan, first released in 2004, has generated considerable momentum for the adoption of multi-disciplinary and collaborative approaches to the development of regional innovation systems, particularly through the establishment of institutions and processes to encourage collaboration. At the heart of the Plan is a commitment to fostering creativity and innovation and an acknowledgement that this is foundational for the achievement of prosperity and wellbeing.

The humanities, arts and social science disciplines are major players in South Australia's three major universities, employing around 1200 teachers and researchers, or around 40 per cent of the total South Australian university workforce of teachers and researchers. They have 42 per cent of Higher Degree students and hold 11 per cent of total research income, amounting to around $8.4m from the Australian Research Council alone in 2009. All this activity helps us to better understand and shape the world we live in.

The idea that technological innovation takes place in a social, cultural and ethical context is not a new one, however the view that this necessitates fully engaging the humanities, arts and social science disciplines in innovation and complex problem solving processes has only recently found policy traction in Australia.

Examples of technological innovation where there is a compelling case for such collaboration include controversial technologies such as nanotechnology, genetic modification and nuclear energy generation.

Large scale and complex problems (such as population ageing and climate change) necessitate collaboration and interdisciplinary problem solving, in order to achieve innovative solutions.

If we think about innovation as solely the product of scientific and technological endeavour we risk restricting the quantity and quality of innovation and our capacity to fully understand and respond to the challenges that face us. This implies the need to adopt a balanced conception of innovation, that is, one that views innovation and problem solving as a process underpinned by the dynamic interaction of scientific, technological, social, political, economic, environmental and cultural knowledge and skills.This view has important implications for government and industry support for innovation. The challenge for government policy makers, researchers and industry is to build a more solid foundation for innovation and problem solving by fostering and resourcing long term collaborations.

There are signs that we are heading in the right direction.

The Thinkers in Residence program, the Premier's Science and Research Fund and the Australian Research Council Linkage Scheme are all playing a significant role in fostering greater collaboration between disciplines and sectors. New institutional structures are emerging in our universities to respond to the challenge, including the establishment of a range of multidisciplinary research institutes and centres.

We need to build on these initiatives over the next few years to ensure that collaborative approaches to research and problem solving flourish.

Associate Professor John Spoehr is Executive Director of the Australian Institute for Social Research at the University of Adelaide and lead author of the report. Connecting Ideas - collaborative innovation in a complex world was prepared with assistance from the Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology.

For a copy of the report please go to the Australian Institute for Social Research website.

 

John Spoehr
6 July 2010

 

 

For more information, please contact:

Executive Director

Council of the Humanties, Arts and Social Sciences

Phone: +61 2 6249 1995

director [at] chass.org.au