What makes a challenge global? Perhaps this role of mine is
one of them! The question is topical here right now because the University of
Essex has just selected a number of global challenge research projects to fund
from its own resources. We're putting our money where our mouth
is -- the University’s Strategic Vision specifically locates internationalization
at the centre of the agenda – and pump-priming new internationally-focused projects
is one way in which international research can be encouraged.
Looking through the applications that we considered, I was
struck by several things and made a list of a few key observations that might
be useful to think about when we announce a second round of applications.
1. There’s a difference between globally significant and globally engaged. Surely a global challenge has
international significance – but the real benefits are those that create some
change in the way we think about things and do things, in addition to changes
that we can effect on others. You might
be able to pursue a problem of global significance in the privacy of your own
office – but for engagement you need to open that door pretty wide, and welcome
whatever enters.
2. Global challenges are not just about solving problems – they’re about grasping opportunities too. The UN’s Millennium
Development Goals are clearly relevant as indicators of some of the most
pressing global issues (though I was struck by how few of the applications mentioned them) and set a useful context within
which specific problems can be specified and addressed. Similarly, the big
questions: the climate, economic instability, rights and justice, growth and
sustainability, all throw up recognisable challenges. But there is a huge space
of opportunities beyond these traditional challenges. How, for example, can we
use advanced technologies to extend the reach, and develop new patterns, of applications,
communication and exchange?
3. We asked for trans-disciplinary projects. Most of the
applications were certainly interdisciplinary
– but is there a genuine difference? Actually yes, there is. The paper "Transdisciplinary Research: characteristics, quandaries and qualities”, for example, by Wickson, Carew and Russell,
outlines key differences between trans- and inter-disciplinary research. Focus: “… research … starts with a
problem that is ‘in the world and actual’ as opposed to ‘in my head and
conceptual’” – the emphasis is on solving real problems, not merely in a changed
understanding of those problems; Methodology: trans-disciplinary research
evolves an appropriate methodology for its task, rather than working within in a
mixture of distinct methodologies and a
variety of theoretical models -- as is often the case with interdisciplinary research; and Collaboration: the distinction here is the
extent to which the subjects of research, the various stakeholders, are counted
among the collaborators.
The successful projects recognised these three points to a
large extent – and the prospects for some exciting research are enormous.