Returning Scientists and the Emergence of Chinese Science System

TL;DR

This study uses bibliometric methods to evaluate the performance and impact of Chinese scientists who return from overseas, highlighting their significant role in China's scientific development and global integration.

Contribution

It provides the first quantitative analysis of overseas Chinese returnees' publication impact and their role in connecting China to the global scientific community.

Findings

Overseas Chinese scientists are more prevalent in the US than in the EU.

Returnees publish higher impact work than domestic scientists.

Returnees actively link China to the global research network.

Abstract

The Chinese approach to developing a world-class science system includes a vigorous set of programmes to attract back Chinese researchers who have overseas training and work experience. No analysis is available to show the performance of these mobile researchers. This article attempts to close part of this gap. Using a novel bibliometric approach, we estimate the stocks of overseas Chinese and returnees from the perspective of their publication activities, albeit with some limitations. We show that the share of overseas Chinese scientists in the US is considerably larger than that in the EU. We also show that Chinese returnees publish higher impact work, and continue to publish more and at the international level than domestic counterparts. Returnees not only tend to publish more, but they are instrumental in linking China into the global network. Indeed, returnees actively co-publish with researchers in their former host system, showing the importance of scientific social capital. Future research will examine the impact of length of stay, among other factors, on such impact and integration.