An Interdisciplinary Exploration of Academic Inequalities and the Role of Unusual Collaborations in Societal Advancement

Academic institutions bear significant responsibility in creating a suitable environment for the advancement of knowledge in society. As such, inequalities based on gender, ethnicity, sexual minority status, socioeconomic background, and hierarchical positions create an uneven educational landscape that hinders societal progress.

In this project, we aim to understand whether there are inequalities in academic success and if so, whether unusual collaborations can tackle these inequalities. Specifically, our goal is twofold. First, we aim to understand whether some social groups are more likely to be successful in academia than others, and why. Second, we aim to study whether unusual collaborations, which essentially bring together individuals from different disciplines, backgrounds, and experiences, remove these potential inequalities or conversely exacerbate them. On the one hand, exposure to different perspectives helps break down disciplinary tunnel views, promoting a more inclusive atmosphere. On the other hand, bringing various disciplines together may inflate stereotypes and biases, leading to even more isolation.

Thus, this project will bundle theoretical and empirical knowledge from sociology, cultural geography, engineering, and plant biology to study an issue that not only concerns academic institutions, but also the society as a whole.

Research team: Deni Mazrekaj (UU), Azadeh Arjomand Kermani (WUR), Andries Temme (WUR), Rahul Subburaj (TU/e).

Contact team: d.mazrekaj [at] uu.nl.