Using Technology to Enhance Research Collaboration Across the Globe
Changing the Collaborative Research Experience | November 22, 2024
When researching any kind of topic or solution, collaboration among peers can be a game changer. We see more ideas and different thought patterns being introduced to research efforts when more than one person is involved, creating more thorough results in the end.
Some of the benefits researchers aim to reap from global collaboration are shared resources, faster progress, improved funding, and access to expertise to name a few.
As a result, many institutions and organizations are integrating the technology needed to facilitate global partnerships, with a focus on elevating the quality of research.
Global Conferencing Technology
Providing clients that engage in global collaborative research with the right technology is critical.
Audiovisual features are considered some of the most important aspects when collaborating globally. Video walls and large displays allow participants to feel more immersed in conference calls and meetings.
Interactive whiteboards are also utilized during research which brings a more involved and inclusive feel to the research process. High quality surrounding displays and speakers all make conferencing internationally possible. Other things like top quality microphones are essential as well.
While less important than internal or in-person research, acoustics can help with conference call sound quality and allow for participants to be less distracted. Thoughtful IT and telecom design are crucial for global collaboration as well. With a solid connection meetings will run smoother and users will avoid unwanted network problems.
All these features together allow for efficient and effective communication and global collaborative research. It’s hard to grasp how much quality is lost without these factors but creating an immersive and collaborative environment between countries makes a huge difference and certainly has an effect on research quality.
Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University (JHU) is a University that comes to mind for many when discussing higher education research efforts, which makes sense as it is America’s first research University. The prestigious school is known for being at the forefront of innovation when it comes to their buildings, professors, technology, and of course their research.
JHU collaborates across the globe through several of its different schools and majors, including the renowned Bloomberg School of Public Health.
The school itself is a leader in public health research and education and is in the process of building a brand-new building to house the program. This building is being designed with the most advanced public health technology, giving students the best tools possible to progress their learning and research.
Aside from the incredible new building coming to the university, the Bloomberg School of Public Health has led advances against global public health threats through their use of global collaborative research.
With continuous work being done in more than 100 countries, problems like malaria, polio, HIV, and malnutrition have been reduced or offered solutions through the school’s work. Continuous collaboration with partners overseas has had tremendous impacts on the speed and quality of research the school has done in the past decades.
Although not quite as focused on research globally, another pillar in Johns Hopkins University’s global research is the Bloomberg Center in Washington DC. This massive building houses a large variety of different types of learning, working, and research technology and tools, giving students and faculty the ability to make a real impact on relevant research causes.
These tools and technology have allowed for the university to provide meaningful globally collaborative research for issues such as the Coronavirus, artificial intelligence, and space exploration, giving students an advanced and unique learning experience.
Princeton Plasma
Another incredible organization that dives into global collaborative research is the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL).
With their focus on being the world leader in plasma use and research, public and private researchers around the world look to PPPL for guidance and information on plasma issues.
These partnerships include the K-STAR in Korea, the Wendelstein 7-X in Germany, and the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak in China.
Coming in 2026, the Princeton Plasma Innovation Center is something to look out for in the press and in the scientific realm.
The core goals for their collaborative research are similar to the ones that Johns Hopkins University has stated, but PPPL has set some unique ones for itself.
They claim that pushing research to the point where it can develop a patentable or licensable concept is very important and allows for advances in the scientific world. They also place heavy emphasis on global scientific discovery to advance society and make the world a better, safer place, something similar to what JHU aims to do with its research as well.
With all this amazing research being facilitated around the world, Princeton Plasma is in the process of adding another incredible research facility in Princeton New Jersey. The building is being designed to utilize the best, most advanced laboratory and research technology available and is set to make waves in the physics world.
Organizations like these provide the research necessary to advance society as well as bring parts of the world together. JHU has been able to change student lives and uplift communities around the world and PPPL has provided discoveries that have impacted the globe. Global collaborative research is a necessity in today’s day and age and creates an endless number of possibilities.
With these organizations setting the bar so high in the global research field, it’s hopeful that other universities and government entities will be motivated to engage in global collaboration as well. The more minds working toward the common goal of advancing the world the better, and we are proud to support such amazing organizations with the necessary technology design that they need.
For more insights on design innovation in the STEM world, check out our article on Sustainable Healthcare with AI & Robotics.
