About this Research Topic
The university is one of the oldest and most persistent institutions in history. In modern, complex
societies, it has become a key instance for solving societal problems. For example, not only would we
lack a solid understanding of climate change without science. Successfully dealing with it also requires
well-functioning research processes. Our existential need for trustworthy science provides one
important reason for why academia’s manifold internal problems demand attention from different
disciplinary perspectives.
This Research Topic is meant to discuss both up-to-date descriptions of urgent problems in academic
organization and institutionalization, as well as corresponding approaches to solving them. It aims to
gather a multi-faceted perspective on academic life in its entirety: We therefore call for either
comprehensive analyses of individual problems in the university system, or of their interplay, such as
social aspects (e.g., young academic’s precarious living conditions) overlapping with functional ones
(e.g., innovations falling short of their potential). In particular, submissions could address:
- Organizational Problems (e.g., quality management of research and teaching)
- Institutional Problems (e.g., contemporary forms of employment and funding)
- Evaluation Problems (e.g., criteria design for hiring, promotion, or projects)
- Consistency Problems (e.g., "replication crisis" of research findings)
- Transformation Problems (e.g., implementation of digital technologies)
- Impact Problems (e.g., political recognition of climate change research results)
- Equality Problems (e.g., discrimination and biases)
- Possible Ameliorations, Mitigations, or Solutions
With this, we aim to make a substantial contribution to the self-critique of academic processes – so
that they can better fulfill their institutional role in a situation characterized by multiple crises.
Submissions from all disciplines are welcome, especially from (though not limited to) Sociology,
Political Science, Economics, Anthropology, Cultural Studies, Psychology, and Philosophy.
societies, it has become a key instance for solving societal problems. For example, not only would we
lack a solid understanding of climate change without science. Successfully dealing with it also requires
well-functioning research processes. Our existential need for trustworthy science provides one
important reason for why academia’s manifold internal problems demand attention from different
disciplinary perspectives.
This Research Topic is meant to discuss both up-to-date descriptions of urgent problems in academic
organization and institutionalization, as well as corresponding approaches to solving them. It aims to
gather a multi-faceted perspective on academic life in its entirety: We therefore call for either
comprehensive analyses of individual problems in the university system, or of their interplay, such as
social aspects (e.g., young academic’s precarious living conditions) overlapping with functional ones
(e.g., innovations falling short of their potential). In particular, submissions could address:
- Organizational Problems (e.g., quality management of research and teaching)
- Institutional Problems (e.g., contemporary forms of employment and funding)
- Evaluation Problems (e.g., criteria design for hiring, promotion, or projects)
- Consistency Problems (e.g., "replication crisis" of research findings)
- Transformation Problems (e.g., implementation of digital technologies)
- Impact Problems (e.g., political recognition of climate change research results)
- Equality Problems (e.g., discrimination and biases)
- Possible Ameliorations, Mitigations, or Solutions
With this, we aim to make a substantial contribution to the self-critique of academic processes – so
that they can better fulfill their institutional role in a situation characterized by multiple crises.
Submissions from all disciplines are welcome, especially from (though not limited to) Sociology,
Political Science, Economics, Anthropology, Cultural Studies, Psychology, and Philosophy.
Keywords: academic organization, teaching, University, institutions
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
