The new interdisciplinary centre 'Interacting Minds' will generate knowledge about what happens when people interact with one another. What goes on in the brain? And in our emotions? And how does communication affect all this?

Answering questions such as these requires us to draw on knowledge from the social sciences and the humanities, but also from biology and health sciences. The various academic disciplines all possess knowledge of what happens in human interaction, but by working together they can go much further and create new interdisciplinary knowledge. This is the basis for the new centre's interdisciplinary research.

Professor Andreas Roepstorff will be the director of the centre. He is used to working across academic disciplines, in that he is both an anthropologist and a biologist, and today he divides his research work across those two subject areas. He explains the basic idea behind the new interdisciplinary centre.

"Understanding human interaction is essentially a matter for the humanities. It is all about individuals doing things together, which is a classic  area of focus for the humanities, but it also extends deep into the social sciences. If, for example, we are to understand all the complexities associated with mental disorders, it is clearly necessary to bring in knowledge from health sciences, but in addition biology, psychology, anthropology and sociology are all relevant, if we are to investigate and understand the issue in depth," says Andreas Roepstorff. As centre director, he will have a coordinating role, and it will be his job to maintain an overview of the research carried out at the centre.

Breaking down academic barriers

It is the ambition of the centre to be a powerhouse for the generation of knowledge on human interaction. Andreas Roepstorff emphasises that the interdisciplinary approach is what will make it possible to examine the area from all sides and to 'attack' it from a number of research angles. The idea is to break down traditional academic barriers and let the concept of 'human interaction' guide the research work of the centre.

"It is our interest in this field that defines us – not our academic disciplines. Consequently, we will focus entirely on this subject matter. We will draw on concrete knowledge from brain and cognition research, but Business and Social Science is also heavily involved with the centre. In particular, there is a good tradition associated with organisation and management theory always to ask "How do we do this in practice?'" Using in addition a metareflective approach, which is a particular speciality of researchers from Arts, we expect to get a very long way," says Andreas Roepstorff.

A focus on reality

The research at the centre will be empirically based to a very high degree, with the real world being the main focus for the researchers.

"Most of us work very empirically. We go out into the world and examine what happens there, or we work in the laboratory and create frameworks for interaction. This is what unites us. But this approach does not undermine the significance of theory. Our experience is simply that when there is concrete material available, we transfer our discussions on theory and methods to an area where we can put them to practical use," Professor Roepstorff explains.

"That said, however, it is also our aim to be a dynamic force for the generation of theories and methods.'

The researchers want to develop new methods, and they will work experimentally to do this.

"We do not allow ourselves to be controlled by any fixed combinations of methods or disciplines, but use different approaches to tackle the subjects and issues that interest us," says Andreas Roepstorff.

A seal of approval for interdisciplinary research

The concept of interdisciplinary work is nothing new for the researchers who are attached to the centre. Even though the focus is on non-traditional interdisciplinary cooperation, they are not starting from scratch. Many of the researchers know each other well, and have worked together for several years.

"There are already well-established interdisciplinary links. However, the founding of the centre represents a seal of approval for this interdisciplinary research, and is an occasion to consider in what new directions we can continue this cooperation," Andreas Roepstorff explains.   

The researchers who are attached to the centre already have some ongoing projects on which they will continue to work. But new projects will be launched over the course of the coming five years, and a number of PhD students will be recruited. There is also a strong board of management.

The centre board is made up of researchers who have a deep interest in the field and know the issues involved intimately. They will ensure that there is a link between traditional academic disciplines and interdisciplinary work. There must be new initiatives, but contact with academic roots must also be strong. Recognised researchers and professors will ensure that this happens. Among them are Frederik Stjernfelt (Arts), Armin Geertz (Arts) and Børge Obel (Business and Social Science), Raben Rosenberg (Health) and Jens Mogens Olesen (Science & Technology).

Five themes – one for each year

In the first instance, the centre has funding for a period of five years. There is a clear plan for what the research will cover in each of these years. The theme for each year will form the common denominator for the research projects, but there will be room for adaptation to the actual situation of the centre as it develops.

• In the first year, the researchers will focus on the theme of Coordination.
• The second year will concern Confusion, a common element in human interaction. Often, parties disagree about the premises involved in the interaction.
• The third year will focus on Conflict, and the conflicts of interest that are at stake in human interaction.
• The fourth year will concern Cooperation in relation to human interaction.
• In the fifth and final year, the researchers will adopt a metaperspective to the whole issue and ask, 'What can we learn by using an interdisciplinary approach?' 

Centre website

http://interactingminds.au.dk

About Andreas Roepstorff

Professor Andreas Roepstorff has studied both biology and anthropology, and divides his research work equally between these two subjects. He has taken an interdisciplinary approach to his work since completing his studies, and consequently he is very pleased that a new framework has been established that will give even greater impetus to interdisciplinary research at Aaarhus University..