The gulf of cross-disciplinary research collaborations on global river basins is not narrowed

Abstract

Using publications in the Web of Science database (WoS), this study investigates the research collaboration on the top 95 most researched global river basins since 1900. The links of both the disciplines involved and the management issues studied between the biophysical, economic, societal, climatic and governance sub-systems of these river basins were examined. We found that research collaborations were dominated within the biophysical sub-system (65.3%) since the knowledge predevelopment period (1900–1983), with continuous increases (by 18.5%) during the rapid development (1984–2000) and the stabilisation (12.9% increase) (2001–2017). However, research collaborations related to the societal sub-system remained marginalised (varied at about 1%), while those related to the governance sub-system expanded in issues studied (32.8%) but were not supported by the core governance disciplines (3.4%). The key findings explained why global river basins are degraded from the perspective of knowledge development and they can assist the strategic planning and management of scientific research for improving governance capacity in modifying the relationship between human and nature on river basins in the Anthropocene. Tackling challenges in the Anthropocene requires transformation of the current pattern of knowledge development, a revolution in the governance of science.

The Exploration of the Path of Building First-Class Graduate Discipline Under the Multi-Disciplinary Intersection

“…However, there are still many difficulties in promoting interdisciplinary integration to build first-class majors and cultivate compound talents. Wu Wei et al (2018) found that there is a dilemma of simplified setting and utilitarian tendency in the practice of interdisciplinary graduate training, which is manifested in the deviation of top-level dynamic design, the blocking of high-quality resource flow by faculties and departments, the inconsistency between export and import during the training process, and the deviation from reality in assessment and evaluation. Ma Xiao, Li Xue & Sun Xiaodong (2021) pointed out in their discussion on the construction of the new liberal arts that at the present stage, the main problems restricting the construction of the new liberal arts include the difficulty of subject classification system to meet the practical requirements, the restriction of interdisciplinary integration in the form of grass-roots academic organization, the difficulty of personnel training system to meet the requirements of the new liberal arts construction, and the imperfect evaluation system.…”