Events

Prof. Hyejin Ku
Associate Professor of Economics
University College London

This paper examines how China’s growing research capabilities impact global research universities across various scientific fields. Using bibliometric data from 1980 to 2020, we assess the effects of the “China shock” on high-impact publications, novel concepts, and citation patterns. Our analysis reveals a positive net effect in Chemistry and Engineering & Materials Science (EMS), but a negative effect in Clinical & Life Sciences (CLS). This suggests that spillover effects dominate in Chemistry and EMS, while competition effects are more pronounced in CLS. In other fields, the net effects are mostly positive but imprecise. We highlight the coexistence of competition and spillover effects arising from the China shock, with their relative strength shaped by field characteristics, such as expansion potential and the quality of China’s research.