As the world went online during the pandemic, many worried that it would result in a drop off in collaboration as the serendipitous encounters that are the bedrock of collaboration became harder to have. Indeed, the Allen Curve has long demonstrated that physical proximity is often central to the sharing of knowledge.

It’s a perspective reinforced by a recent study from Harvard Business School, which looked at how knowledge is shared in academia. The study found that when people were able to have interactions with people with differing viewpoints, whether in the dining hall, the classroom, or elsewhere on campus, their scientific research improved significantly.

Diversity matters

Interestingly though, while the Allen Curve highlights that we’re much more likely to interact with those within 10 meters of us, the Harvard research found that the most impactful interactions were with those we don’t interact with very often and who work in very different disciplines.

The researchers explain that this is largely because people in our own disciplines tend to all ask very similar questions or approach problems in much the same way. It’s only when we talk with others that we break out of the proverbial box.

The study highlights how personal connections and being physically close matter most in academic research. Researchers are over twice as likely to study and reference papers by people they know personally or hear about through on-campus talks or from colleagues.

Interestingly, the study shows that researchers are most influenced by colleagues at their own university who explore topics very different from their own. On average, a researcher is 63% more likely to be influenced by works that cover different subjects or perspectives, if they come from colleagues at their own university.

These findings are important because universities are hubs of diverse ideas and perspectives. They allow for different viewpoints to mix through various activities like meetings, talks, and even chance encounters. While platforms like Zoom and social media help share information virtually, we’re not sure how much they really impact these connections.