The Brief
Science: A collaborative effort
By Afifah Darke
Academics looking to publish their research should not work in silos, as science is “inherently a collaborative effort”, said Dr Susanne Rentzow-Vasu, Regional (ASEAN) Project Director of European Commission-funded EURAXESS Worldwide.
Speaking on a panel at the QS Higher Ed Summit: Asia Pacific 2023, Dr Rentzow-Vasu emphasised that “knowledge is only acquired if people work together”. The panel, titled “Open Research – Strategies to Maximise and Safeguard the Value and Trust in Research”, included moderator Caroline Sutton, CEO, International Association of Science, Technology and Medical Publishers at STM, speakers Prof Abhi Veerakumarasivam, Provost of Sunway University and Dr Liz Allen, Director of Strategic Initiatives at F1000.
“You cannot see yourself as in individual anymore,” said Dr Rentzow, in response to Sutton’s question on how researchers should rethink on the assessment of their work. “The assessment has to move away from just the individual achievements, and we have to put more emphasis on the collaborative effort.”
She urged the audience to reflect on how they were collaborating with others, as well as communicate to those who were not their “traditional audience”. “How are you integrating the public, citizen side, in your research and how are you letting others benefit from the work that you do?”
The panel also covered the experts' views on the essential skills needed by researchers as open scientists. Dr Allen highlighted that there is always a cost associated with implementing policies required from funding agencies or publishers, to make data research available or to publish open access.
“One of the key things that will help bridge the gap between coming up with policies and actual practical implementation involves training and support for researchers,” Dr Allen suggested, adding that there needs to be investment in helping the policies come to life. “Because otherwise there’s a lot of waste in that system, developing policies that can’t be implemented or problematic or add extra burden to researchers and institutions in supporting them.”
She added: “There’s no point in creating your data and putting it somewhere that no one understands what you shared.
The Brief
Living labs can boost interdisciplinary work
By Anton John Crace
Using real-world situations to study current and future challenges could create a “convergence of opportunities” that boosts interdisciplinary collaboration across learning, teaching and research, according to Professor Aaron Thean, Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost, National University of Singapore.
Speaking at the 2023 QS Higher Ed Summit: Asia Pacific, Prof Thean highlighted the work that his university has been undertaking within Singapore to understand rapidly ageing populations and quality of life.
“We are in amazing times, a convergence of challenges,” he told delegates, pointing to recent unrest, the pandemic and the explosion in technology.
“With those convergences comes the convergence of opportunity, and I think we’ve many problems to solve…but there are many connections we can make. I think, as universities, we have the opportunity to address this and to grow the talent.”
Of the challenges being faced, Prof Thean said that most were not isolated to one particular area, but overlapped several interests, and that universities could use this as a way to provide interdisciplinary learning for students, as well as teachers and researchers.
Currently, NUS is undertaking an ongoing research experiment in Queenstown, a small area of Singapore that mimics the conditions the entire city state will experience in 2030. With a population of roughly 95,000, 80 percent of residents live in government housing and over a fifth of those are above the age of 65.
“This entire town is a living lab for us to experiment on policies, health technologies, built environments and social research,” he said.
So far, the project has developed international attention from within Asia and around the world.