Science in Society: The Idoine Case for Interdisciplinary Dynamics that Promote Skills

Abstract

Research ethics has historically focused on the “laboratory researcher,” neglecting fundamental aspects of academic life, such as knowledge transfer, bibliometric dynamics, and structural inequalities. These issues profoundly influence academic trajectories, particularly in a context where interdisciplinarity and the breaking down of barriers between faculties have become academic and societal imperatives. This text explores a latent force present in academic institutions capable of transcending traditional divisions to promote better integration of skills, knowledge and practices, first within its institution, but also more broadly in society. We introduce the Idoine Collective as an organisational model for studying and experimenting with mechanisms that meet the needs of knowledge transfer, while investigating the institutional structures that hinder interdisciplinarity and the promotion of students’ and researchers’ skills. The Idoine Collective is considered as a subject of study in procedural ethics and governance, allowing us to analyse how alternative organisational frameworks can support science in action, break down barriers between disciplines and strengthen the link between universities and society. By examining these dynamics, this texte invites us to rethink the place of students and researchers in the production and dissemination of knowledge, while highlighting the structural tensions that remain in academia.