The ITD Alliance Oceania Regional Network was formed in collaboration with the Global Alliance for Inter- and Transdisciplinarity (ITD Alliance) in August 2024. It is a network of individuals and institutions that aim to increase connections and knowledge sharing among people engaged in inter- and transdisciplinary practice, research and education in the Oceania region and to strengthen our global voice about the unique characteristics of Oceania. Further information can be found at https://itd-alliance.org/oceania-regional-network/.
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The ITD Alliance Oceania Regional Network has now taken over the organisation of seminars from NITRO-Oceania, starting with
7 November, Thursday, 12 noon – 1:30 pm, Sydney time
Online, free and open to the public, Register now.
“On the Nature and Practice of Crossdisciplinary Integration”
Michael O’Rourke, Michigan State University.
Abstract: Crossdisciplinary research is widely regarded as necessary for addressing complex, socio-environmental challenges, and integration is widely regarded as necessary for the successful conduct of crossdisciplinary research. Although crossdisciplinary integration has been discussed since at least the 1960s across a range of contexts, including philosophy of science, organizational psychology, and interdisciplinary studies, there is little consensus about what it is or how you pursue it. Discussions of integration in the literature tend to be either very abstract or very specific – there are not a lot of examples of analysis that split the difference. Some argue that this is to be expected, since integration is highly contextual and not something that can be modelled generally, but I believe this point of view is mistaken. In this talk, I discuss developments involving an input-process-output (IPO) model of integration that demonstrate its potential to split the difference. I present an IPO-based conceptualization of integration that focuses on integrative process, highlighting the value of thinking about this in terms of integrative pathways and integrative mechanisms. I then discuss how this way of thinking about integration can be operationalized to facilitate crossdisciplinary integration in research on complex problems.
The 60-minute seminar will be followed by a 30-minute open conversation providing an opportunity for attendees to meet and talk with others interested in ITD across Oceania. Please pass this invitation on to students and colleagues who may be interested.