A new global network, launched today, will bring research leaders together to advance interdisciplinary science.
Times Higher Education (THE), in association with Schmidt Science Fellows, has developed the Global Higher Education Interdisciplinary Network (GHEIN), to support universities in strengthening the strategies and structures that allow interdisciplinary science to thrive.
The network will bring together senior university leaders responsible for research from seven regions worldwide, creating a peer-led space for dialogue, shared learning, and the exchange of practical experience.
Through regional chapters, the network will enable members to explore how interdisciplinary research can be supported in ways that reflect local contexts, rather than promoting a single institutional model.
Director of Science Systems at Schmidt Sciences James Ricci said: “Interdisciplinary science has the power to accelerate progress, but realizing its full potential requires research structures, strategies, and cultures that actively support bold, cross-cutting work.
“This initiative will bring together science leaders at the forefront of this movement. By sharing experiences and exploring new approaches, ideas, and hard-won insights from institutions around the world, we can accelerate our collective learning and drive the sector forward.”
THE’s Chief Operating Officer and Chief Global Affairs Officer Phil Baty said: “Scientific research that breaks down academic silos and crosses traditional disciplines is increasingly understood to be essential for the next generation of big breakthroughs and the key to solving the world’s most pressing problems.”
The launch of the network builds on the Interdisciplinary Science Rankings and Interdisciplinary Science Forum, introduced by THE in 2024 in association with Schmidt Science Fellows.
The rankings provide a global framework for benchmarking institutional performance in interdisciplinary research, and the Forum and new network complement this, focusing on the organisational and policy conditions that enable such research to thrive.
Executive Director of Schmidt Science Fellows Megan Kenna said: “Together, the Global Higher Education Interdisciplinary Network, the Interdisciplinary Science Rankings, and the Interdisciplinary Science Forum connect research leaders across regions and systems, strengthening the conditions for interdisciplinary science and enabling research environments that are resilient, responsive, and impact-driven.”
During its first year, the network will establish governance structures, onboard regional chapters, and begin a programme of regular convenings.
Insights from these discussions will contribute to regional impact snapshots and an annual global interdisciplinary insight brief, aimed at informing university leadership and broader policy discussions on interdisciplinary research.
