For interdisciplinary research to truly create qualitative change!

Interdisciplinary research in science, especially in the social sciences and humanities, is now considered an inevitable and necessary trend for solving real-life problems. However, the current challenge is to correctly understand the nature of interdisciplinary research and find solutions to effectively implement interdisciplinary research programs. Professor Nguyen Quang Ngoc, Director of the Institute of Vietnamese Studies and Development (Vietnam National University, Hanoi), spoke with the Vietnam National University, Hanoi Journal on this topic.

Interdisciplinary research: starting with a correct understanding of the concept.

Professor, when was the concept of interdisciplinary research first mentioned?ButProf. Dr. Nguyen Quang NgocIt can be seen that as science develops, specialized fields become increasingly fragmented to gain a deeper understanding of things and phenomena. This is a normal and inevitable path of development. However, once these fields are fragmented and delved into too much detail, understanding things and phenomena as a whole system becomes more difficult. The requirement for scientific development is that specialization and specialization must go hand in hand with expanding linkages, interpenetration, and blending among scientific disciplines. The interdisciplinary approach emerged in this context and is increasingly becoming an important trend both globally and in Vietnam.So, Professor, what should we understand the essence of interdisciplinary research to be?ButProf. Dr. Nguyen Quang NgocMuch is said about interdisciplinary research, but I feel that its true nature is often not fully understood! Simply put, interdisciplinary research is the simultaneous, objective, and equal use of multiple specialized methods—more precisely, two or more specialized methods—in understanding a particular object or phenomenon. Let me give a typical example of interdisciplinary research: When studying Thang Long Citadel (Hanoi) using traditional historical methods, we only needed to exploit and systematize ancient texts about the citadel, then describe and comment on its scale, structure, role, and position in history. If we stopped there, our understanding of Thang Long Citadel would inevitably remain vague and even inaccurate. Since the archaeological excavation at 18 Hoang Dieu Street, revealing the western part of the Thang Long Forbidden City, historians have had the opportunity to collaborate with archaeologists, cultural scholars, architects, paleontologists, paleogeographers, and others. Together, they have discussed, compared, and contrasted the site with similar citadels both domestically and internationally, accurately and comprehensively determining not only the location, scale, and structure of the citadel, but also its distinctive and globally significant values. This new scientific achievement concerning the Thang Long citadel is a prime example of interdisciplinary research, something that no scientist could have imagined just a few years prior. It can be said that only when specialized knowledge is blended to create qualitative changes in scientific understanding can true interdisciplinary research be achieved.So, interdisciplinary research also has many different "levels" and "stages," and it necessarily has to be linked to the organization of research groups, Professor?ButProf. Dr. Nguyen Quang NgocInterdisciplinary approaches also vary in breadth and narrowness, and the level of interdisciplinary research depends on the ability to simultaneously, comprehensively, and effectively utilize multiple methods specific to a research subject, leading to a common scientific understanding. The most difficult aspect of interdisciplinary methods is that they require the simultaneous use of many different methods, without considering any method as primary or merely supplementary. Therefore, interdisciplinary research is rarely applied to individual research projects, but is usually organized into interdisciplinary research groups. An interdisciplinary research group will include several experts from different professional fields, but they must truly understand and respect each other, collaborating to research a common subject. Within a team, the team leader must be a leader who not only has the ability to organize and guide the entire team to work in the right direction, but also knows how to listen to different opinions, synthesize and summarize to find the essence of events and phenomena, even if they may be expressed in many contradictory ways.Professor, how important is interdisciplinary research in the field of social sciences and humanities?ButProf. Dr. Nguyen Quang NgocSocial sciences and humanities, in their broadest sense, are the sciences concerning human beings and social life. During the process of industrialization, modernization, opening up, and international integration, the Party's policy of "making the development of human resources the fundamental element for rapid and sustainable development" has placed social sciences and humanities in its rightful, high position. The question is whether social sciences and humanities have risen to fulfill their noble function and mission. Thus, social sciences and humanities contribute to accurately assessing the social reality and helping policymakers find directions for national development. For example, in the mid-1980s, the policy of reforming the organization and management of rural areas and agriculture fundamentally changed the face of the country, transforming Vietnam from a poor and impoverished nation into the world's second-largest rice exporter. The achievements of this century owe a great deal to the social sciences and humanities. However, it is also possible to consider that if research is not thorough and advice is not given on major policy decisions, then the social sciences and humanities must also bear responsibility for the immeasurable harm to individuals and society. Large-scale research programs on human beings, communities, society, and culture, comprehensive research topics, and strategies for the development of a region or industry must definitely be interdisciplinary research programs.- So, Professor, what are the fundamental difficulties currently facing interdisciplinary research in the social sciences and humanities?ButProf. Dr. Nguyen Quang NgocConducting social sciences and humanities research as an objective science is already difficult; conducting interdisciplinary research in social sciences and humanities in a systematic and truly scientific manner is even more challenging. For those accustomed to specialized, in-depth research, it's even harder. We've been slow to enter interdisciplinary research, lacking adequate investment and virtually no experience in organizing such research. Many scientific programs, touted as interdisciplinary, implemented in recent years are in reality only rudimentary multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary research. Meanwhile, societal life is presenting numerous demands that require interdisciplinary approaches, and only interdisciplinary methods can address them. I believe it's time for the government to develop a strategy for interdisciplinary science, investing appropriately so that interdisciplinary science can fully utilize its advantages and meet the increasingly high demands of society.

There is a shortage of people trained to conduct interdisciplinary research.

Professor, there's an opinion that we're lacking interdisciplinary researchers. So how can we build a team of highly skilled experts in interdisciplinary research?ButProf. Dr. Nguyen Quang NgocThe demands of interdisciplinary research are constantly increasing, requiring a growing number of professional interdisciplinary research experts. The normal trend in scientific development is towards greater specialization and a deeper understanding of the essence of things and phenomena. However, to fully and correctly understand all of these things and phenomena, integration is essential. So, who will undertake this integration work when science has already delved so deeply and extensively? Don't assume that a highly skilled expert in a specific field can easily solve interdisciplinary problems. I think the opposite might be true; an expert deeply specialized in a particular field might even face greater difficulties in interdisciplinary research, because their specialized methods have become ingrained and cannot be changed immediately. I've only spent a little over thirty years working on ancient and medieval Vietnamese history, and now I've been assigned to develop interdisciplinary Vietnamese studies. Frankly, I'm doing my best because of the responsibility I've been given, but I'm still primarily a historian. Perhaps other experts feel the same way; once they've delved deeply into their specialization, it's difficult for them to fully dedicate themselves to interdisciplinary work. Therefore, I think we need to consider training interdisciplinary professionals as early as possible. We must have a plan to formally and systematically train these professionals from the outset. It's also important to understand that not everyone can be trained as an interdisciplinary expert; we need to select individuals with comprehensive scientific aptitude, organizational skills, management abilities, and the capacity to work in interdisciplinary teams. I believe that many young cadres from my generation, if they truly commit themselves, receive policy support, and master modern technology, will certainly succeed.Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Hai Ke - Head of the History Department - commented that: Many famous research works by prominent figures in Vietnamese science have become "classics" because they used interdisciplinary research methods and integrated interdisciplinary scientific knowledge. So why were previous generations of scientists able to accomplish things that we now consider difficult?ButProf. Dr. Nguyen Quang NgocIt must be said that the level of specialized scientific knowledge at that time was not as high or as deep as it is today. In the early stages of social sciences and humanities development, many disciplines were still closely linked, forming a unified whole in the style of "Literature, History, and Philosophy as one." Scientists at that time were trained, worked, and matured in a comprehensive academic environment, thus having more favorable conditions for interdisciplinary work than now. When undertaking research projects in a particular field, they would move from a very broad and solid foundation to specialized research, and then use that specialized research to further strengthen and solidify the already substantial foundation. Through the extraordinary efforts of dedicated and outstanding individuals, overcoming the difficulties and limitations of the pioneering era, they skillfully combined their vast and profound knowledge with the new achievements of in-depth research, forming "classic" works as Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Hai Ke once mentioned. I suddenly remembered a poem by Che Lan Vien written during the most intense days of the resistance war against the US to save the country:The era is over, Dinh Bo Linh! You can't fight the enemy with reeds as a flag."Times are no longer like the 1930s, 40s, and 50s of the 20th century. Difficulties have changed, and advantages are not as they used to be. The demands of interdisciplinary research, in a context where science has become so deeply specialized, require us to take a different approach. So how can we clearly explain why our generation succeeded while ours hasn't? What I hope is that the next generation, with better resources and capabilities, will be able to conduct more valuable interdisciplinary research than our predecessors."- Based on the points presented by the professor above, it is clear that the story of interdisciplinary research is essentially a story about vision, awareness, and organizational and management capabilities.ButProf. Dr. Nguyen Quang NgocThat's right. I believe that the position and role of social sciences and humanities, and interdisciplinary research within them, are increasingly recognized more clearly and accurately. Many major scientific problems of the country, of various sectors, regions, and localities can only be solved through interdisciplinary research. However, to have truly systematic and effective interdisciplinary research, there must be a development strategy, commensurate investment, proper organization and management, and a plan for training and developing a team of experts in interdisciplinary research. I believe that compared to all other scientific research and training institutions at the university and postgraduate levels nationwide, only Hanoi National University has a significant advantage in leading in research, training, building an interdisciplinary academic environment, and implementing large-scale, high-value interdisciplinary scientific programs to serve the country's industrialization, modernization, opening up, and international integration.