International collaboration between scientists in traditionally non-central science systems: Novel data from Chinese and Turkish science systems

Description

Global science is not an equal ground. Certain national science systems are more centrally positioned in global science than others. But recent trends indicate moving towards a more plural and multipolar global science. The rise of research collaborations occurs not only in the established Euro-American science systems that hold ‘central’ nodes in the globally networked science, but also in other parts of the world as science systems exercise their agency in expanding collaboration among themselves, leading to increasing global scientific connectivity. Yet, research collaborations between traditionally non-central science systems are understudied.

Against this backdrop, this talk will investigate the factors leading to increased research collaborations between scientists in China and Turkey as two traditionally non-central science systems. The term of ‘traditionally’ acknowledges that the non-central status may change over time, especially considering the rapidly rising Chinese science system. Our multiple regression analysis using an original dataset of 2256 collaborative papers and 605 China-based and Turkey-based scientists reveals the statistically significant role of in-person mobility to the other system in increasing research collaborations. Gender is also a statistically significant predictor of increased research collaborations. The paper adds further nuances to the literature that having obtained a PhD abroad or being in a large city may not lead to increased collaborations among traditionally non-central systems, although they may increase international collaborations at the conflated global level. Our further bibliometric explorations indicate that the connectivity between Chinese and Turkish science systems is multi-lateral, involving diverse science systems around the globe. Although Euro-American systems, as traditionally core systems, remain crucial, they do not dominate this connectivity. China is the stronger system in this Chinese-Turkish connectivity, but scientific collaborations benefit both countries, as well as global science.

Period	15 Nov 2022
Held at	Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland
Degree of Recognition	International