A Study On The Practical Path Of Interdisciplinary Development In American Research Universities

In an era of increasingly complex and comprehensive scientific reality,relying on knowledge and research from a single discipline has become difficult to solve major social and technological issues,and interdisciplinary development has become an important trend in higher education.China’s "Double First-Class" initiative puts forward new requirements for the development of disciplines,talent cultivation,scientific research,and other aspects of higher education.In terms of discipline development,integrate relevant traditional discipline resources,promote the intersection and integration of basic and applied disciplines,and cultivate new disciplinary growth points in cutting-edge and interdisciplinary fields;In terms of talent cultivation,cultivate top-notch composite talents;In scientific research,promote innovation in research paradigms and methods,and promote interdisciplinary integration.Disciplinary intersection is not only the demand of the times for higher education reform,but also a powerful driving force for promoting the construction of "double first-class".The concept of interdisciplinary learning originated in the United States.In 1926,the American scholar Woodworth first proposed the concept of "interdisciplinary" and defined it as a practical activity involving two or more disciplines that spans the boundaries of a single discipline.In the 1990 s,the British scholar Michael Gibbons proposed the theory of knowledge production mode I and knowledge production mode II.As this theory gradually gained public recognition,interdisciplinary research has gradually entered the public eye,and has received recognition and support from many scholars.American research universities are actively exploring the practical path of interdisciplinary development.After nearly a century of development,they have accumulated rich experience,and their practical path of interdisciplinary development has some inspiration and reference for China’s interdisciplinary development.This study uses literature analysis,case analysis,and comparative research methods to analyze the practical path of interdisciplinary research in American research universities based on the theory of knowledge production model transformation.Clarify the background of interdisciplinary development in American research universities,summarize the overall objectives of interdisciplinary development in American research universities,and on this basis,comb the practical path of interdisciplinary development in American research universities,analyze the experience and shortcomings of interdisciplinary development in American research universities,and draw inspiration for China’s interdisciplinary development.The article is divided into the following five parts:The first part is the introduction and the background analysis of the interdisciplinary development of American research universities.Firstly,it systematically reviews the research reasons and literature review at home and abroad,and on this basis,determines the research ideas and selects appropriate research methods.The analysis shows that the background of interdisciplinary development of research universities in the United States has three aspects: first,the development of disciplines tends to be integrated across disciplines,second,the development of scientific research calls for interdisciplinary collaboration,and third,talent cultivation emphasizes interdisciplinary talents.In this context,American research universities have vigorously developed interdisciplinary research and accumulated rich practical experience.The second part is a summary of the interdisciplinary development goals of American research universities.Based on the interpretation of the policy documents on interdisciplinary development in the United States and the analysis of the development strategies officially released by universities,the overall goal of interdisciplinary development in research universities in the United States is summarized.The goal of interdisciplinary development in American research universities can be summed up in three points: first,in terms of discipline construction,strengthen existing discipline advantages and expand discipline development space;In terms of talent cultivation,enhance students’ interdisciplinary research capabilities and cultivate industry leaders;Third,in terms of results and outputs,use cutting-edge achievements to promote technological change and improve human well-being.The third part is the focus of the full text,summarizing and analyzing the practical path of interdisciplinary development in American research universities.Its development path can be summarized in six aspects: spatial optimization,scientific research development,talent cultivation,bonus setting,cultural construction,and management evaluation.Firstly,in terms of spatial layout,create an open and shared space for cooperation and exchange;Second,in scientific research,relying on projects to establish research teams and carry out problem oriented interdisciplinary research;Third,enrich courses and internship opportunities in talent cultivation,and cultivate interdisciplinary talents;Fourth,in terms of financial support,multiple types of research awards should be set up to encourage the output of interdisciplinary achievements;Fifth,create an inclusive campus culture in cultural construction to assist in the development of interdisciplinary education;Sixth,establish a scientific management mechanism in management and evaluation to ensure the smooth operation of interdisciplinary research.The fourth part summarizes the experience and shortcomings of interdisciplinary development in American research universities.American research universities have rich experience in interdisciplinary development,but there are also shortcomings.Its development experience is mainly reflected in the following five aspects: first,addressing major social issues as an important interdisciplinary content;Second,the degree of intersection between different disciplines is gradually increasing,and the intersection between natural science and social science is becoming increasingly evident;Thirdly,an ecological system suitable for interdisciplinary research has been initially formed;Fourth,interdisciplinary people gradually move towards a central position;The fifth is to have a long-term vision and attach importance to the overall strategic layout.At the same time,there are still some limitations in its development,mainly reflected in the following three aspects: first,there is still a large development space for the interdisciplinary research results evaluation system;How to enable researchers to quickly and effectively overcome "cognitive barriers" remains a challenge;Thirdly,teachers need to improve their interdisciplinary teaching abilities and ensure the quality of interdisciplinary education.The fifth part summarizes the enlightenment of the interdisciplinary development of American research universities to China.In the process of interdisciplinary development in China,we should base ourselves on our native culture,absorb and draw on the excellent experience of the United States,and avoid the problems that have already arisen.China’s research universities can carry out interdisciplinary development from the following three aspects: first,starting from the top-level design,clarifying the strategic objectives of interdisciplinary development;The second is to integrate multiple channels and expand the interdisciplinary development path;Third,improve the interdisciplinary management mechanism and provide effective institutional protection.