Symposium: The Academic and Policy Worlds: Reflections On A Divide

[This is a post-publication review symposium] The field of international studies has, from its birth, been animated by two impulses that are often in tension with one another, if not engage in outright contradiction. On one hand, international studies scholars have sought to produce academically, \"scientifically,\" defensible claims about pressing global challenges: war, inequality, injustice. On the other hand, international studies scholars have sought to influence policy in directions more conducive to preferred outcomes, such as the creation and strengthening of international organizations, the promotion of human rights and sustainable development, and the production of stable and accountable governments. These impulses are often in tension with one another because, arguably, of the different standards upheld in the academic and policy domains: academic knowledge must meet standards of theoretical and methodological rigor that pass muster primarily with other academics, while policy-relevant knowledge provides feasible options that make practical sense to a variety of stakeholders. The \"gap\" to be \"bridged\" is therefore no mere failure of commitment or desire on either side; it is directly linked to the different constitutions of the academic and policy worlds.[...]