Interdisciplinary Research at Near East University
Interdisciplinary research is an integral part of Near East University’s academic environment. We encourage collaboration across departments, faculties, and disciplines to address complex questions and develop practical solutions. Our approach combines different perspectives, bringing together researchers from various fields to work on shared challenges.
Our commitment to interdisciplinarity is strongly reflected in the university’s institutional strategies and policies. In particular, our Quality Policy and Research and Development Policy emphasize values such as collaboration, innovation, sustainability, and the integration of knowledge across disciplines. These policies guide the university's efforts in fostering a research culture that is both ethically grounded and socially responsible.
To learn more about our institutional policies:
Near East University’s Quality Policy
Near East University’s Research and Development Policy
Institutional Approach
Our institutional strategy clearly includes interdisciplinary collaboration as a priority area. This is reflected in our research policies, funding schemes, and support mechanisms for both early-career and senior researchers. We believe that connecting diverse academic fields creates stronger research communities and more meaningful outcomes.
Policy and Incentive Framework for Interdisciplinary Research
Near East University supports interdisciplinary research through a formal policy and incentive framework designed to strengthen both the quantity and quality of cross-disciplinary research outputs. In addition to its broader research and quality policies, the university has introduced a supplementary academic incentive package that specifically promotes publications in Scopus-indexed journals classified under multiple subject areas, recognizing their interdisciplinary impact potential.
This framework also encourages academic collaboration with highly ranked international universities, supports postgraduate research productivity, and integrates interdisciplinary publication performance into institutional research development mechanisms. All processes are monitored and evaluated within the university’s quality assurance system, ensuring that interdisciplinary research is not only encouraged but also institutionally supported, rewarded, and monitored.
To learn more about the policy framework supporting interdisciplinary research:
Supplementary Academic Incentive Package (PDF)
Measures of Success
We monitor interdisciplinary research outcomes through several indicators, such as:
- Joint publications across departments and faculties
- Collaborative projects funded through internal and external sources
- Participation in interdisciplinary conferences and networks
- Establishment of interdisciplinary research centers
Data on these outcomes is reviewed regularly as part of our internal evaluation processes.
Research Facilities
We provide shared research spaces designed specifically for interdisciplinary teams. These include innovation labs, shared laboratories, and thematic research centers (Operational Research Center in Healthcare, Desam Research Institute etc.) where experts from different backgrounds can work together. These spaces are accessible to both faculty and students, encouraging interaction and cooperation.
This physical research environment is further strengthened by Near East University’s laboratory network, which offers access to a broad range of research facilities across faculties and academic fields. By enabling researchers from different disciplines to work in common scientific environments, share technical resources, and develop joint projects, this laboratory infrastructure plays an important role in supporting interdisciplinary collaboration. More information on the university’s research laboratories is available here:
Strategic Framework for Interdisciplinary Research
Interdisciplinary research is embedded within the university’s 2025–2029 Strategic Plan under specific goals and performance indicators. In particular, Goal 7.5 focuses on strengthening interdisciplinary research capacity by increasing the proportion, volume, and depth of cross-disciplinary research outputs.
This strategic objective is supported by clearly defined key performance indicators (KPIs), enabling systematic monitoring and continuous improvement of interdisciplinary research activities.
Key indicators include the proportion of interdisciplinary publications, the total number of interdisciplinary outputs, and the share of publications involving three or more disciplines, reflecting both the scale and depth of interdisciplinary research.
These indicators are regularly monitored through institutional research performance analysis systems and bibliometric tools. The results are reviewed periodically and inform strategic decision-making processes related to research development and interdisciplinary collaboration. The analyses presented below reflect the university’s current performance in relation to these indicators.
Interdisciplinary Research Performance
Interdisciplinary research constitutes a core component of the university’s research strategy. By integrating knowledge across diverse fields, the university promotes innovative approaches to complex scientific and societal challenges. The following analyses provide evidence of the scale, growth, and structural characteristics of interdisciplinary research outputs.
Interdisciplinary publications are defined as research outputs classified under two or more Times Higher Education (THE) subject areas.
Growth of Interdisciplinary Publications
The number of interdisciplinary publications (≥2 disciplines) has increased significantly over the past decade, rising from 40 in 2015 to 755 in 2025. This sustained growth reflects a strategic institutional shift towards collaborative and integrative research practices.
The sharp increase observed after 2017 indicates the impact of targeted research policies and the strengthening of cross-disciplinary research ecosystems within the university.
Distribution by Number of Disciplines (2015–2025)
The composition of research outputs has evolved from predominantly single-discipline publications to increasingly interdisciplinary work. While single-discipline outputs remain significant, their relative share has decreased over time.
Concurrently, publications involving two or more disciplines have steadily increased, with a notable rise in multi-layered collaborations involving three or more disciplines. This trend highlights not only broader collaboration but also deeper integration across knowledge domains.
Disciplinary Composition of Publications (2025)
In 2025, 47.25% of all publications involved two or more disciplines, demonstrating that nearly half of all research outputs involve cross-disciplinary integration.
Publications involving two disciplines constitute the largest share of interdisciplinary outputs, while a growing proportion of research integrates three or more disciplines, indicating a transition towards more complex and deeply interconnected research structures. A smaller but important proportion of publications integrated four or more disciplines, reflecting advanced levels of cross-disciplinary knowledge integration.
Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration Patterns (2025)
The interaction between disciplines reveals the central role of key scientific domains in interdisciplinary research. Engineering, Physical Sciences, and Life Sciences emerge as major hubs, frequently collaborating with other fields such as Computer Science, Social Sciences, and Medical and Health Sciences.
Notably, strong linkages between technical and applied domains (e.g., Engineering–Computer Science, Life Sciences–Medical and Health) indicate an increasing alignment of research with complex, real-world challenges.
These patterns demonstrate not only the presence of interdisciplinary research but also the development of structured and recurring collaboration pathways across diverse academic fields.
This networked structure highlights not only the expansion of interdisciplinary research but also its increasing sophistication, moving beyond bilateral collaborations towards integrated, multi-disciplinary research ecosystems.
In addition to two-discipline collaborations, the university demonstrates a growing capacity for more complex interdisciplinary research involving three distinct fields. These multi-layered collaborations represent an advanced stage of interdisciplinary integration, where knowledge is not only shared but systematically combined across multiple domains.
Core scientific areas such as Engineering, Physical Sciences, and Computer Science act as central nodes, connecting with fields including Social Sciences, Medical and Health, and Business and Economics. This networked structure reflects both the depth and maturity of the university’s interdisciplinary research ecosystem.
While two-discipline collaborations form the structural backbone of interdisciplinary research, three-discipline collaborations reflect its depth and maturity.
Overall, interdisciplinary research has evolved from a limited activity into a defining characteristic of the university’s research ecosystem. The consistent growth in interdisciplinary outputs, combined with increasingly complex collaboration patterns, demonstrates a mature and strategically aligned research environment capable of addressing global scientific and societal challenges.
Interdisciplinary Excellence Award
To recognize outstanding interdisciplinary achievement, an annual award is granted to the publication that spans the highest number of disciplines and attains the highest Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI).
This award highlights research that not only bridges multiple fields but also demonstrates exceptional scientific influence.
Administrative Support
At Near East University, the Scientific Research Projects Coordination Office (BAP) provides dedicated administrative support to interdisciplinary research teams.
Our research coordination units offer administrative guidance to interdisciplinary teams, including support for:
- Proposal writing and budgeting
- Project coordination across faculties
- Research ethics and compliance
- Dissemination and communication strategies
This support is available throughout the research lifecycle.
Career Development and Evaluation
Our academic promotion and tenure systems acknowledge interdisciplinary contributions. Collaborative research outputs, joint authorship, and cross-disciplinary supervision are recognized as valuable components of an academic career. Interdisciplinary activity is considered during evaluations for promotion, merit-based funding, and internal awards.
Eligibility for Interdisciplinary Research Incentives
All faculty members, researchers, and academics at Near East University who are engaged in research projects that meet the criteria for interdisciplinary work, as outlined in this policy, are eligible to receive monetary incentives.
To qualify for the interdisciplinary research incentive:
- The research must involve active collaboration with scholars from at least one other academic discipline or department.
- The research must be aimed at addressing complex challenges or questions that cannot be solved within the confines of a single discipline.
- The project must show clear and measurable interdisciplinary objectives, methodologies, and expected outcomes.
Monetary Incentive Structure
In recognition of the additional effort and collaboration involved in interdisciplinary research, Near East University offers a monetary incentive for eligible academics.
- Academics engaged in interdisciplinary research will receive 1.2 times the standard monetary incentive typically provided for research activities.
- The incentive will be calculated based on the level of involvement in the interdisciplinary project and will be distributed as part of the academic’s regular research funding.
This enhanced incentive reflects the university’s commitment to promoting and rewarding innovative, cross-disciplinary collaboration and research excellence.
Multidisciplinary Projects
Near East University is currently involved in several interdisciplinary projects involving areas such as public health, engineering, design, sustainability, and digital technologies. These projects often involve multiple departments and external partners, contributing to real-world impact and academic advancement.
Looking Ahead
We continue to build on our commitment to interdisciplinary research by investing in shared infrastructure, encouraging new research themes that connect different fields, and promoting a culture of open academic dialogue.