Research on Collaboration – RoC

Since September 2023, work has started on developing an interdisciplinary research area for collaboration. This is a university-wide research initiative and it will be developed through internal and external collaboration and in an international context. The research will focus on developing knowledge about collaboration, unlike all the excellent research and education that takes place in collaboration with others. Societal challenges cannot be solved in isolation and collaboration is a prerequisite for finding new innovative solutions to current and future challenges. The research area will focus on (1) organisation, management and controlling collaboration and its consequences, (2) impact, and results and (un)desired consequences of collaboration, as well as (3) theories and innovative methods for the scholarly study of collaboration.

An important part of the effort is to create what is known as a Community of Practice where practitioners and researchers meet in a joint knowledge and interest arena for shared learning and achieve knowledge exchange between parties from academia, civil society, the private and public sectors and politicians.

What's underway

• RoC through Karin Axelson (IDT) and Linda Höglund (EST) had its own panel on the theme of research on collaboration at the international IRSPM (International Research Society for Public Management), Tampere, Finland from 16 - 18 April 2024.
• One of our new RoC members Simon Sjölund (UKK) has been at the 2024 AERA ANNUAL MEETING (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 11-14) and talked about collaboration in relation to Research-practice partnerships (RPPs) in education.
• Yvonne Eriksson (IDT) has been granted funding to develop innovative evaluation methods for collaboration via Living Lab@mdu and thus contribute to MDU becoming not only good at collaboration but also at systematically improving the quality of the same and thus becoming one of the leading universities in collaboration.
• Magnus Hoppe (EST) is running SAMSEM@MDU - a new collaboration seminar at MDU - in 2024 within the framework of RoC.
• An application by Jonas Steir (HVV) has been submitted to: A sustainable future for Europe (HORIZON-CL2-2024-TRANSFORMATIONS-01-07): Methodologies for teamworking of researchers - reinforcing transversal collaborative skills, behavioural and implementation sciences.
• Research cooperation with Emma Bell, international visiting research fellow and Professor of Organisation and Leadership at The Open University, UK. She is being funded by the Knowledge Foundation (KK-Stiftelsen) and greatly contributes to the research area with her expertise, networks and research on collaboration. The School of Business, Society and Engineering (EST) at MDU and Professor Lucia Cervani are also cooperating with this initiative.