By Zhang Bin and Tong Xiaoyu, Hangzhou, March 4th (Xinhua)
A collaborative effort between professors from the School of Environment and Resources and the School of Management at Zhejiang University has yielded a research breakthrough published in Nature. This achievement is hailed as a noteworthy endeavor at Zhejiang University, representing a new approach - analyzing significant environmental and resource sustainability issues through the lens of management studies.
"This exemplifies a significant exploration into interdisciplinary fusion," remarked Xie Xiaoyun, Executive Vice Dean and Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee at the School of Management, Zhejiang University, on March 3rd. Interdisciplinary studies are seen as vital for driving scientific and industrial innovation. The School of Management is committed to advancing interdisciplinary studies from a top-level design perspective, refining evaluation systems, and creating conditions conducive to interdisciplinary collaboration.
On the same day, the "Endless Frontiers" Zhejiang University School of Management 2024 New Year Forum and Interdisciplinary BEST Strategy Conference were held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. Experts and professors from various schools at Zhejiang University gathered to discuss how to promote interdisciplinary studies under the theme "From Technological Innovation to Industrial Innovation."
Interdisciplinary studies are not a new concept. In recent years, with the advancement of the "Double First-Class" construction in universities and the emergence of concepts such as new engineering, new medical sciences, new agricultural sciences, and new liberal arts, interdisciplinary studies have gradually gained prominence.
Since 2017, the School of Management at Zhejiang University has been exploring the "Business Plus" education model. With years of dedication to interdisciplinary exploration, Xie Xiaoyun believes that many major problems facing human society today require multidisciplinary collaboration. He emphasizes that interdisciplinary collaboration is essential for knowledge innovation in universities and for serving the development of human society.
Ji Bingfeng, Executive Vice Dean of the School of Mechanical Engineering at Zhejiang University, has profound experience in interdisciplinary collaboration. Over the past decade, a team led by Academician Yang Huayong has broken the monopoly of foreign shield tunneling technology and products in China through collaborative research between academia and industry, earning the team a national first-class scientific and technological progress award.
Ji Bingfeng described this research achievement as a typical example of interdisciplinary fusion between business, engineering, science, and technology. He explained that researchers drew inspiration from animal chewing to design wear-resistant shield tunneling cutters and adopted a business-oriented approach to ensure the equipment's affordability and efficiency. "This is a typical case of interdisciplinary fusion in the field of engineering," he said.
The School of Energy Engineering at Zhejiang University has long been committed to interdisciplinary collaboration. Especially in January of this year, the School signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the School of Management at Zhejiang University, focusing on "dual carbon" to jointly promote green development.
Luo Kun, Executive Vice Dean of the School of Energy Engineering at Zhejiang University, emphasized that establishing a new energy system requires comprehensive and profound systemic changes in the economy and society, driven by both technology and management. "The development of today's disciplines involves many subdivided fields, which need to empower each other and achieve symbiotic wins to solve more problems," he said.
Although the advantages of interdisciplinary collaboration are evident, Xie Xiaoyun pointed out that not everyone is willing to break through old thinking and accept new concepts. Moreover, the evaluation system for interdisciplinary collaboration still needs further improvement. "Whether interdisciplinary researchers can gain recognition from their academic communities is crucial," he said.
He believes that promoting interdisciplinary collaboration requires not only refining the evaluation system but also encouraging top-level design and top-down promotion. In addition to organized scientific research, fostering a culture of free exploration is also conducive to interdisciplinary collaboration.
In recent years, Zhejiang University has launched the "Towards 2030 Interdisciplinary Convergence Research Plan" and subsequently launched several special plans to leverage its comprehensive disciplinary advantages to create hubs of interdisciplinary research innovation, promote the convergence of disciplines, and foster cross-disciplinary integration innovation, aiming to cultivate a batch of world-leading research results and advantageous disciplines for the future.
"New achievements come from interdisciplinary collaboration," said Chen Baoliang, Dean of the School of Environment and Resources at Zhejiang University, emphasizing the need to strengthen the intensity of interdisciplinary collaboration. He believes that interdisciplinary collaboration can break through the barriers of scientific research thinking and provide new paths. Environmental resources are an applied discipline that needs to be combined with engineering, materials equipment, big data, and other disciplines in the future, rather than working alone.
Undoubtedly, innovation also means taking risks. This raises another question: What kind of interdisciplinary collaboration do we need?
Liu Jingqing, Executive Vice Dean of the Industrial Technology Transformation Research Institute at Zhejiang University, believes that answering this question can be approached from the perspective of industrial application. In this process, universities should assist teachers in organized scientific research and organized transformation.
From the perspective of technological change, Ji Bingfeng believes that "the purpose of interdisciplinary collaboration is mutual benefit." He believes that empowering intelligent manufacturing-related industries' research and development with management disciplines is a beneficial attempt at interdisciplinary collaboration.
It is reported that this event was organized by the School of Management at Zhejiang University, co-organized by the Professional Degree Education Center of the School of Management at Zhejiang University and the EDP Education Center of the School of Management at Zhejiang University, and supported by the Zhejiang Research Base of Theoretical Research on Non-Public-Owned Economy People's United Front Work of China United Front Work Theory Research Association. (End)
