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Which factors influence the international mobility of research scientists?

Author

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  • Silvia Appelt

    (OECD)

  • Brigitte van Beuzekom

    (OECD)

  • Fernando Galindo-Rueda

    (OECD)

  • Roberto de Pinho

Abstract

This paper investigates the factors that influence the international mobility of research scientists using a new measure of mobility derived from changes in affiliations reported by publishing scientists in a major global index of scholarly publications over the period 1996-2011. Using a gravity-based empirical framework, our research shows that measures of geographic and socioeconomic and scientific distance correlate negatively with scientist mobility between two countries. Scientific collaboration appears to be a major factor associated with the mobility of scientists. The analysis shows that the mobility of scientists particularly relies on flows of tertiary-level students in the opposite direction, from destination to origin country. This provides strong evidence that brain circulation is a complex and multi-directional phenomenon. For a majority of country pairs (dyads) in our sample, the mobility of scientists is generally better described by commensurate knowledge flows in both directions, rather than one dominating the other. The analysis also shows that mobility can be positively influenced by convergence in economic conditions and resources dedicated to R&D, as well as reduced visa-related restrictions.

Suggested Citation

  • Silvia Appelt & Brigitte van Beuzekom & Fernando Galindo-Rueda & Roberto de Pinho, 2015. "Which factors influence the international mobility of research scientists?," OECD Science, Technology and Industry Working Papers 2015/2, OECD Publishing.
    • Handle: RePEc:oec:stiaaa:2015/2-en
    DOI: 10.1787/5js1tmrr2233-en
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Ekaterina L. Dyachenko, 2016. "Internal Migration of Scientists in Russia and the USA: The Case of Applied Physics," HSE Working papers WP BRP 58/STI/2016, National Research University Higher School of Economics.
    2. Constance Poitras & Vincent Larivière, 2023. "Research mobility to the United States: a bibliometric analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 128(4), pages 2601-2614, April.
    3. Giorgos Vasiliadis & Costas Panagiotakis & Iliana Stenaki & John Fanourgiakis, 2023. "The impact of brain-drain in country ranking: the case of computer science," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 128(2), pages 1441-1450, February.
    4. Claudia Noumedem Temgoua, 2018. "Highly skilled migration and the internationalization of knowledge," Cahiers du GREThA (2007-2019) 2018-16, Groupe de Recherche en Economie Théorique et Appliquée (GREThA).
    5. Wang, Chun-Chieh & Lin, Jia-Tian & Chen, Dar-Zen & Lo, Szu-Chia, 2023. "A New Look at National Diversity of Inventor Teams within Organizations," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 17(1).
    6. Orazbayev, Sultan, 2017. "International knowledge flows and the administrative barriers to mobility," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(9), pages 1655-1665.
    7. Wentian Shi & Debin Du & Wenlong Yang, 2019. "The Flow Network of Chinese Scientists and Its Driving Mechanisms Based on the Spatial Development Path of CAS and CAE Academicians," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(21), pages 1-22, October.
    8. Xinyi Zhao & Samin Aref & Emilio Zagheni & Guy Stecklov, 2022. "Return migration of German-affiliated researchers: analyzing departure and return by gender, cohort, and discipline using Scopus bibliometric data 1996–2020," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 127(12), pages 7707-7729, December.
    9. Guan, Yuexin & Pan, Wei-Fong & Tang, Siyu, 2024. "Female political leaders and R&D investment," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 70(PB).
    10. Chia-Chi Chen & Dian-Fu Chang, 2022. "Exploring International Faculty’s Perspectives on Their Campus Life by PLS-SEM," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-15, July.
    11. Teemu Makkonen & Timo Mitze, 2021. "Geo-political conflicts, economic sanctions and international knowledge flows," Papers 2112.00564, arXiv.org.
    12. Chang, Ying-Han & Huang, Mu-Hsuan, 2023. "Analysis of factors affecting scientific migration move and distance by academic age, migrant type, and country: Migrant researchers in the field of business and management," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 17(1).
    13. Thomas Heinze & Arlette Jappe & David Pithan, 2019. "From North American hegemony to global competition for scientific leadership? Insights from the Nobel population," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(4), pages 1-14, April.
    14. Massimiliano Coda-Zabetta & Francesco Lissoni & Ernest Miguelez, 2024. "Star recruitment and internationalization effects: an analysis of the Alexander von Humboldt professorship programme," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 51(3), pages 667-690, September.
    15. Massimiliano Coda-Zabetta & Francesco Lissoni & Ernest Miguelez, 2024. "Star recruitment and internationalization effects: an analysis of the alexander von humboldt professorship programme," Post-Print hal-04648037, HAL.
    16. Diego A Forero & Sandra Lopez-Leon & George P Patrinos, 2017. "Ten simple rules for international short-term research stays," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(12), pages 1-5, December.
    17. Pan, Wei-Fong, 2023. "The effect of populism on high-skilled migration: Evidence from inventors," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    18. Jin Liu & Zhaohui Yin & Wenjing Lyu & Songyue Lin, 2019. "Does Money Accelerate Faculty Mobility? Survey Findings from 11 Research Universities in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-15, December.
    19. Zhao, Zhenyue & Bu, Yi & Kang, Lele & Min, Chao & Bian, Yiyang & Tang, Li & Li, Jiang, 2020. "An investigation of the relationship between scientists’ mobility to/from China and their research performance," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 14(2).
    20. Fernandez-Zubieta, Ana & Geuna, Aldo & Lawson, Cornelia, 2015. "What do We Know of the Mobility of Research Scientists and of its Impact on Scientific Production," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis. Working Papers 201522, University of Turin.
    21. Jonas Didisse & Thanh Tam Nguyen-Huu & Thi Anh-Dao Tran, 2019. "The Long Walk to Knowledge: On the Determinants of Higher Education Mobility to Europe," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 55(6), pages 1099-1120, June.
    22. Orazbayev, Sultan, 2017. "Immigration barriers and net brain drain," MPRA Paper 78058, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    23. Cao, Yihui & Sickles, Robin C. & Triebs, Thomas P. & Tumlinson, Justin, 2024. "Linguistic distance to English impedes research performance," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(4).
    24. Falk, Martin & Hagsten, Eva, 2019. "Attractiveness and efficiency of European universities as hosts for Marie Curie grant holders," VfS Annual Conference 2019 (Leipzig): 30 Years after the Fall of the Berlin Wall - Democracy and Market Economy 203664, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.

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