The Characteristics, Challenges, and Optimization Path of Interdisciplinary Center Construction in China’s Leading Research Universities: From the Perspective of Open Innovation

Abstract

This study examined the interdisciplinary centers in 32 leading research universities in China, analyzing their construction characteristics and challenges across four dimensions: organizational structure, institutional culture, disciplinary teams, and resource tools. The findings indicated that the interdisciplinary centers in China’s leading research universities demonstrated openness during their construction process. Specifically, it was characterized by cross-regional organizational collaboration, cross-boundary institutional integration, collaboration among disciplinary teams, and complementary resource tool utilization. However, they still encountered several challenges throughout the process, such as insufficient connectivity of open spaces, limited flexibility of institutional culture, suboptimal coordination of disciplinary team composition, and constrained resource tool diversity with marginal support efficacy. This study proposed that interdisciplinary centers implement four key measures. Firstly, establish a dual-layer open organizational structure that combines physical and virtual spaces to enhance spatial flexibility. Secondly, foster an open institutional culture that deeply integrates research and education. Thirdly, build an open disciplinary team network to strengthen teaching-research collaboration. Fourthly, develop an open resource toolkit for efficient demand identification and precise resource allocation. Collectively, these measures aim to enhance the operational efficiency of interdisciplinary centers and support their deeper integration into open innovation ecosystems.

Keywords

leading research university / interdisciplinary center / open innovation / content analysis / boundary-crossing collaboration

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Higher Education Press