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For the Sustainable Development of Universities: Exploring the External Factors Impacting Returned Early Career Academic’s Research Performance in China

Author

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  • Xiantong Zhao

    (Faculty of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China)

  • Hongbiao Yin

    (Department of Curriculum & Instruction, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China)

  • Chenyang Fang

    (Faculty of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China)

  • Xu Liu

    (Centre for Higher Education Research, South University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China)

Abstract

Early career academics are the key agents for the sustainable development of higher education institutions. In China, those who were educated overseas and have returned to Chinese universities to seek academic positions are becoming a fast-growing group. Good research performance is critical to survive in the increasingly competitive environment in academia. Improving research performance requires an understanding of the factors that facilitate or inhibit research performance. In the light of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, this study, using a mixed-method design (20 interviewees and 136 respondents), elaborates on a number of external factors affecting returned early career academics’ research performance. Understanding these factors is helpful for the building of a favorable environment that can improve the research performance of the returned early career academics, and hence the sustainable development of universities.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiantong Zhao & Hongbiao Yin & Chenyang Fang & Xu Liu, 2021. "For the Sustainable Development of Universities: Exploring the External Factors Impacting Returned Early Career Academic’s Research Performance in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-20, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:3:p:1333-:d:488205
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Hasnain Raza & Anwar Ali & Nazia Rafiq & Liu Xing & Tahseen Asif & Chengjie Jing, 2023. "Comparison of Higher Education in Pakistan and China: A Sustainable Development in Student’s Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-21, February.
    2. Jinyuan Guo & Zhixia Chen & Binyao Zheng, 2021. "Postgraduate Competence and Academic Research Performance: The Mediating Role of Psychological Capital," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-17, June.
    3. Sun Yi & Qin Ting & Zhang Jinxin & Yang Kailong & Zhu Xiaoyue, 2024. "Measurement of Higher Education Competitiveness Level and Regional Disparities in China from the Perspective of Sustainable Development," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment Journal, De Gruyter, vol. 18(1), pages 1-22.

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