Recognising this, our group of researchers, Prof Florence Degavre, Prof Luca Tateo, Dr Amaury Peeters, Dr Maísa Edwards, Dr Ingrid Aguiar Schlindwein and Zahra Abbasi, gathered during Reading Week (19th – 21st February 2025) at the University of Oslo to continue our research, which seeks to actively analyse and address these issues.
Following our initial discussions in September 2022, for the 2022 Circle U. Sandpits at UCLouvain, our group recently convened for a second research meeting at the University of Oslo, with the aim of advancing our research and finalising our academic article which examines how to tackle hierarchies in academic settings and details how they inhibit and often even detract from the ability to successfully conduct interdisciplinary research. This project received a €10,000 grant from Circle U. to carry out this research, and we are scholars based at three of the nine member universities of the alliance: King’s College London, UCLouvain and the University of Oslo.
Addressing Hierarchies in Academia
Following our first funded research meeting at King’s College London from the 21st – 23rd August 2024, we have since worked together to continue analysing the results of our survey and study the ways in which hierarchical structures in academia can hinder communication, limit interdisciplinary collaboration, and perpetuate inequalities between individuals, disciplines and institutions. Studying the ways in which hierarchies in the university setting affect interdisciplinary work is critical due to the manner in which universities have emerged as complex social systems wherein power dynamics often shape interactions and collaborations. During the course of our research, we have worked together to create categories to better define and frame the different ways in which hierarchies were perceived by participants of our survey, in answer to questions such as: ‘Do you think hierarchies influence the diversity and inclusivity of perspectives and voices within academia?’ and ‘Have you observed any efforts or initiatives aimed at addressing or modifying hierarchical structures within your workplace, or discipline, that were linked with interdisciplinarity?’.
Informed by the responses from our survey, we have been able to organise our early results into the following categories: professional status and role within academia, epistemic, social and geographical hierarchies, which aided in our later analysis. Examples of hierarchies identified therefore included those existing between universities, which are habitually ranked nationally, regionally and internationally based on criteria such as prestige, funding, and research outputs; as well as the hierarchies which are found in areas of individual and group access and inclusion. As mentioned by many of our respondents, for instance, women and underrepresented minorities often face a variety of challenges, such as when they are seeking promotions, inclusion and recognition in academia.
Preliminary results suggest that hierarchies in an interdisciplinary academic setting are the same ones that exist in the academic environment or in society in general. However, these hierarchies can create silos, where scholars can remain confined to their disciplines, thereby missing opportunities for rich interdisciplinary exchange amongst colleagues as well as other institutions.
Hierarchies in the perception of research methods were also noted as being obstacles, leading to restrictions in the integration of newer or more marginalised viewpoints. This is especially the case in subject areas such as critical security studies, feminist theories, or postcolonial perspectives. These are all serious issues which, our research group argues, can only be overcome by challenging or resisting hierarchies. Whether by developing greater interdisciplinary collaboration, ensuring better funding opportunities for junior or early career researchers, or welcoming a more diverse range of perspectives in research - steps must be actively taken to dismantle hierarchical barriers.
Our second funded research meeting between the 19th – 22nd February 2025 in Oslo has been pivotal in refining our research and progressing toward the completion of the first of our three envisaged collaborative academic articles. We have undertaken in-depth discussions, as well as multiple brainstorming sessions, to further shape our research and writings on how the wider academic community can identify hierarchies and thereby implement practices to develop greater collaborative and interdisciplinary methods. As a research team made up of scholars from the fields of social, political and economic sciences, psychology, anthropology and bioengineering, we have sought to shine a light on issues that are felt across the disciplines and by a spectrum of academic positions, i.e. including tenured professors, senior lecturers, lecturers, early career researchers and PhD students.
Looking Ahead
Our first collaborative academic article, now nearing completion, will encapsulate our group's findings and recommendations on this subject. It aims to serve as a blueprint for other institutions seeking to address hierarchical challenges within academia and for our future work. By sharing our insights, we hope to contribute to a broader movement towards more inclusive research and a more egalitarian working environment.
Continue to stay tuned in the coming months for more updates on this fascinating project.