Exploring topical global issues with original, interdisciplinary research

The global issues we face today present the world with multi-faceted challenges and demand a corresponding breadth of response and research. 

Recognizing this demand, we are pleased to have published the first topics—AI in Society and Racism by Context—in our new online series of original, interdisciplinary research, Oxford Intersections. 

Sophie Goldsworthy, Director of Content Acquisition and Strategy, said:

“We’re excited to be going live with the launch of Oxford Intersections. In today’s polarized world, we believe it is ever more important to bring together the best thinkers and liveliest voices from different fields, to develop a more holistic understanding of the most pressing issues we face, such as the impact of racism and AI. Oxford Intersections provides a new route for researchers to address these challenges, connecting new work across discipline boundaries and underlining its real-world relevance for users of all kinds, from students and scholars to policy- and decision-makers.”

Oxford Intersections takes an expansive approach, drawing on the very best of current research from multiple disciplines, such as political science, philosophy, law, history, and literature. Overseen by a General Editor, each intersection is curated by leading academic and global experts across the humanities and social sciences. 

The AI in Society intersection explores how AI continues to transform the world, addressing challenges such as creativity and the precarity of human connection, and regulatory and governance issues with AI-driven sustainability in the energy sector. 

Philipp Hacker, General Editor of AI in Society and Chair for Law and Ethics of the Digital Society at European University Viadrina, Germany, said: 

“AI is shaping, for better or for worse, every aspect of society, from policymaking to everyday interactions. Understanding its societal impact from a multitude of perspectives and disciplines is critical, which is what AI in Society aims to do.” 

Exploring the layered and multidimensional nature of racism, Racism by Context tackles subjects such as genomics, race and the persistence of health inequities, and the racialization of young Black people’s bodies in school settings.

Speaking about the important of analyzing these topics through different lenses, Meena Dhanda, General Editor of Racism by Context and Professor of Philosophy and Cultural Politics at University of Wolverhampton, UK, said:

“Combatting racism requires an unflinchingly analytical understanding of the roots, the history, the manifestation, the mechanisms, the proliferation, and the entanglement of its many forms within institutions and practices across all spheres of human interaction. Racism by Context has undertaken this enormous challenge by bringing into conversation cutting-edge research from different global locations. 

“This is the first time that subject experts across a whole range of disciplines have come together to produce a comprehensive understanding of racism. We hope that the research curated informs decision-makers, and stimulates readers to reckon with and imaginatively oppose systemic, structural, and overt racism, wherever it occurs.” 

Further intersections due to launch in 2025 and 2026 include Borders, Environmental Change and Human Experience, Gender Justice, and Social Media in Society and Culture, with over 30 more to follow. New research will be rapidly integrated into each intersection over the course of three years, ensuring readers can access the most comprehensive and current thinking. 

You can access Oxford Intersections via our online platform for academic research, Oxford Academic.