A Study on Ways to Revitalize Interdisciplinary Convergence Research Using Adjunct Faculty at Business Schools

This study conducted a case study to analyze the current status of convergence research utilizing the concurrent faculty system along with the trends of interdisciplinary convergence research at home and abroad. In addition, in-depth interviews with experts were conducted to find ways to activate interdisciplinary convergence research by concurrent faculty members at business schools, and educational implications were presented. In order to activate interdisciplinary convergence research centered on business schools, the following were suggested: (1) establishing an interdisciplinary research center that can collaborate with various academic fields within the business school, (2) promoting practice-oriented interdisciplinary joint convergence research projects through industry-academia cooperation with companies, (3) establishing convergence courses and introducing joint degree programs between the business school and other disciplines, (4) promoting interdisciplinary cooperation by operating a networking program between the business school and researchers in other fields, (5) establishing a data sharing platform for interdisciplinary research and establishing convergence research infrastructure, (6) providing joint research funding and incentives for interdisciplinary convergence, (7) expanding interdisciplinary convergence research on a global scale, (8) expanding convergence research projects in which students can proactively participate in interdisciplinary research, (9) introducing an industry mentoring program to provide opportunities to collaborate with industry experts, and (10) strengthening social contribution activities and promoting them so that the results of interdisciplinary convergence research can contribute to solving social problems. Next, the following strategies were suggested as ways to activate interdisciplinary convergence research utilizing concurrent faculty members: policy support, structural support, research support, education and human resource development, promotion of networking and cooperation, performance evaluation and recognition, communication and information sharing, awareness raising, and culture formation.