Why choose the Pufendorf Institute for Advanced Studies?
What is so special about this place? Does our model really work - can interdisciplinary liberty of action actually lead to something?
The Pufendorf IAS is an incubator for new research ideas and a springboard for innovative research initiatives. For more than 15 years, we have welcomed hundreds of interdisciplinary research groups. In our experience, the best questions often emerge in the "in-betweens"; the places in which knowledge areas and traditional academic disciplines meet. This is why we support collaborative, interdisciplinary groups where members endeavour to learn from each other. The Pufendorf Institute is an oasis in everyday academic life, offering time and space to develop research questions – and lay the foundation for future research.
Stimulating interdisciplinary collaboration within and between faculty boundaries as a way to achieve advanced and excellent research is a key component of Lund University's overall research strategy. In recent years, the University has allocated funds, for example to Thematic Collaboration Initiatives, Profile Areas and projects within Agenda 2030.
All the major research funders – Swedish and international – also invest in interdisciplinarity through annual major calls.
The Pufendorf model: Liberty of actions
The Institute offers the groups “a liberty of action”. This freedom can be summarised in three underlying principles that constitute the Pufendorf model:
- The bottom-up principle means that researchers create their own groups, choose the research topics and set their own goals. Applications are approved based on ingenuity and interdisciplinary significance.
- The no-expected deliverables principle means that groups working at the Institute commit to work together towards set goals but without the requirement to produce specific research output. This encourages the exploration of new ideas.
- The open space and framework principle means that the groups have the freedom to plan and structure their work in the best possible way to enable them to form and develop their ideas. Inspiration should come from all members and new ideas and concepts develop throughout the process.
How do we know if our model leads to something "good"?
Since our model is based on curiosity and freedom of thought, without demands for deliveries or results, how can we know that it is "good", that it leads to successful and excellent research?
The Pufendorf Institute is regularly (and often) evaluated by international experts. One of them is Martin Cloonan, director of our sister institute in Turku, Finland. He once said:
The most precious gift you can give researchers is TIME…
and
If you let academics alone and get on with it, things will get done!
Our internal evaluations confirm these "truisms". It turns out that the researchers in our interdisciplinary groups, especially in our Themes, continue to collaborate after their time at the Pufendendorf IAS.
Key figures from our latest evaluation
- The vast majority of thematic collaboration initiatives at Lund University originate from previous Pufendorf groups
- 3 out of 5 Agenda 2030 projects at Lund University can be traced back to Pufendorf groups
- All Profile Areas at Lund University are based on previous work at the Pufendorf Institute
- All Themes except one report publications that would not have happened if it had not been for the work done at Pufendorf IAS
- The vast majority of Themes and half of all Advanced Study Groups report that they have applied for external funding after their time at the Pufendorf IAS:
- Themes: Applications for approx. SEK 566 million, of which SEK 399 million were approved.
- ASGs: Applications for approx. SEK 248 million, of which at least SEK 70 million approved.
The Pufendorf Themes that were active here during 2018-2021 were granted 17 times the original Theme investment at the Pufendorf IAS. 17 times. Our model works.
All that glitters is not gold. What do the researchers say about their time at Pufendorf IAS?
To be able to think, speak and work freely!
The researchers value the Pufendorf model – the liberty of action – for several reasons. We have compiled some reactions from researchers over the years on a separate website:
What do the researchers say? | The Pufendorf Institute for Advanced Studies
