The Scholarship of Integration: On the Pivotal Role of Centers of Advanced Study in the New Structure of Research-Intensive Universities in the 21st Century

According to well acknowledged diagnosis of the circumstances surrounding the institution of theuniversity stressing the growing complexity of the academic enterprise in Europe and the dynamicsof its inner evolution we develop in the presented article two thesis: first, on the need of transdiscliplinaryintegrative research in contemporary academia, which will reshape and transcend the traditionalboundaries of disciplinary divisions of scientific work, and second, that the best place todevelop such ‘transdiscliplinary integrative research’ are the centers for advanced study, separatedfrom traditional faculties and departments and based on a project-participating faculty. We singleout, define and describe the external and internal circumstances of integrative research and cooperation,which can be conducive or disturbing for their unrestricted and dynamic development.