The Concept
Aligned with Al-Ahliyya Amman University's vision of becoming a leader in scientific research and innovation, the university is committed to establishing an interdisciplinary research system. This system serves as a fundamental pillar for advancing academic excellence and effectively addressing complex societal challenges. The university recognizes that integrating knowledge and methodologies across disciplines offers a powerful approach to generating novel insights that transcend traditional academic boundaries and contribute meaningfully to sustainable development goals.
Research Approaches
Interdisciplinary Research:
This method employs an integrative scientific framework that combines knowledge and methodologies from multiple disciplines to address complex challenges. Rather than simply examining issues through different disciplinary lenses, it emphasizes authentic collaboration and synthesis across fields. Interdisciplinary research may be conducted either through collaboration among researchers from various fields or by individual researchers employing cross-disciplinary methods. The ultimate objective is to generate novel insights and innovative solutions that transcend conventional academic boundaries.
Multidisciplinary Research:
This method facilitates cooperation among diverse disciplines to examine a subject or address a specific challenge. Each participating discipline maintains its distinct methodological framework and conceptual foundations while contributing its unique perspective. Although this approach provides a comprehensive, multi-angled understanding of complex issues, it typically stops short of generating novel conceptual frameworks or theories that transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries.
Intradisciplinary Research:
This research paradigm operates exclusively within the framework of a single academic discipline, employing field-specific concepts, methodologies, and analytical tools without integrating external disciplinary perspectives. Its primary aim is to advance specialized knowledge and develop theoretical constructs that contribute to the discipline's internal discourse, rather than seeking cross-disciplinary synthesis or application.
The Added Value of Interdisciplinary Research
Interdisciplinary research stands as one of the most vital tools for generating modern knowledge. By fostering integration across disciplines, it unlocks new horizons for innovation and delivers deeper, more comprehensive solutions to complex challenges.
The primary benefits include:
- Delivering Innovative Solutions to Complex Problems
Enables tackling multifaceted challenges that exceed the capacity of single disciplines—including examples like renewable energy, Artificial intelligence in medicine and climate change.
- Generating Novel Knowledge Beyond Disciplinary Borders
Fosters the creation of groundbreaking theories, concepts, and methodologies that arise from structured collaboration across scientific domains—exemplified by fields like biomedical engineering, which integrates medical science with engineering principles.
- Enhancing Scientific Collaboration and Collective Creativity
Supports interaction among researchers from diverse backgrounds, enriching critical thinking, broadening perspectives, and increasing the likelihood of achieving integrated and innovative outcomes.
- Maximizing Societal and Industrial Impact
Leads to the development of practical solutions and applications that address societal and labor market needs in areas such as economics, health, environment, and technology, thereby strengthening the link between scientific research and development
- Flexibility and Adaptability to Scientific and Technological Transformations
Equips researchers with multidisciplinary skills, enabling them to keep pace with rapid advancements in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence and biotechnology.
- Enhancing Academic Competitiveness and Securing Funding
Boosts university research rankings and expands opportunities to secure funding from organizations that support applied and interdisciplinary research.
