Comparative Study of Strategies to Promote Interdisciplinary Activities in Research Universities in Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to reveal the commonalities and differences between strategies to promote interdisciplinary activities at top research universities in Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The strategic plans of 91 US research universities, 26 UK research universities, and 27 Japanese national research universities were collected, and the content relating to interdisciplinary activities were analyzed. From the text analysis of strategic plans, interdisciplinary strategies were categorized into nine types: (1) Educational Programs, (2) Projects and Teams, (3) Internal/External Collaboration, (4) Research Center, (5) Infrastructure, (6) Funds, (7) Recruitment and Performance Evaluation, (8) Strength, and (9) Leadership. Among these strategies, the proportions of universities that referred to Projects and Teams, Internal/External Collaboration, Research Center, Leadership, and Strength were similar among the three countries. On the other hand, the proportion of American research universities that mentioned interdisciplinary strategies in Infrastructure, Funds, and Recruitment and Performance Evaluation were statistically significantly higher than those of Japanese research universities. Finally, this paper discusses the implications of the Japanese government and university management in promoting interdisciplinary education and research activities.