Will investigate a philosophical basis for interdisciplinarity

According to Wallenberg Academy Fellow James Nguyen, research not only aims to produce new knowledge, but also to understand how the world is connected. He will now explore the potential for creating a framework for interdisciplinary research, so researchers from different disciplines can more easily collaborate and find solutions for complex societal problems.

Researchers dive deeply into their own field of research. This is often necessary, but narrow specialization can also undermine the ability to communicate with researchers from other disciplines. Dr James Nguyen at Stockholm University will explore a philosophical hypothesis that he hopes will bridge the gap between different disciplines.

His goal is to identify what unites researchers, rather than what divides them. The essence of his argument is that all researchers – whether natural scientists, social scientists or humanists – are searching for understanding rather than solely knowledge. James Nguyen also believes that researchers in all fields develop representations (theories, models, paradigms, etc.) in order to understand(rather than simply know) the world. There are differences, but Nguyen’s assumption is that they share some basic characteristics. 

He will now investigate whether his hypothesis is correct. If he can verify it, he will explore ways of uniting representations that originate in different disciplines. The aim is to find a philosophical basis for interdisciplinary projects, allowing researchers to collaborate on difficult problems, such as climate change, migration or the management of pandemics. 

Photo: Patrik Lundin