‘Brain circulation’ and transnational knowledge networks: studying long‐term effects of academic mobility to Germany, 1954–2000

Abstract

‘Brain circulation’ has become a buzzword for describing the increasingly networked character of highly skilled migration. In this article, the concept is linked to academics' work on circular mobility to explore the long‐term effects of their research stays in Germany during the second half of the twentieth century. Based on original survey data on more than 1800 former visiting academics from 93 countries, it is argued that this type of brain circulation launched a cumulative process of subsequent academic mobility and collaboration that contributed significantly to the reintegration of Germany into the international scientific community after the Second World War and enabled the country's rise to the most important source for international co‐authors of US scientists and engineers in the twenty‐first century. In this article I discuss regional and disciplinary specificities in the formation of transnational knowledge networks through circulating academics and suggest that the long‐term effects can be fruitfully conceptualized as accumulation processes in ‘centres of calculation’.

The Impact of Long-term Scientific Mobility on the Creation of Persistent Knowledge Networks

“…In both cases there is evidence of a statistically significant relationship between the network and the mobility variables 4 , suggesting that scientists with previous long term mobility are relatively more likely to have foreign organisations among their main knowledge contacts. These results are consistent with previous research that has identified a relationship between international mobility and network building (Turpin et al, 2008;Jöns, 2009). However, the data also show that although long-term mobility appears to increase the propensity to establish international knowledge networks, international networking is a relatively generalised phenomenon, even among non mobile scientists.…”

“…Differences between scientific fields in terms of mobility (Canibano et al, 2008) and in terms of the presence of collaborative networks and nature of the relationships established (Jöns, 2009;Wagner, 2005), have been described in the literature. Differences are particularly evident between exact and natural sciences (where collaborations tend to assume the form of co-publications and scientific consulting); and social sciences and humanities (where copublications are less dominant).…”

“…One of them addresses a large sample of scientists from a series of Asia-Pacific countries and investigates the impact of their mobility across countries -for doctoral training or for post-doctoral activities -on the building of research networks and transnational collaborations with those countries (Turpin et al, 2008). The other addresses foreign scientists who visited Germany in the context of the Humboldt research fellowships and investigates the subsequent process of collaboration and transnational mobility, having Germany as destination, which resulted from it (Jöns, 2009). …”

Formal Education as a Facilitator of Migration and Integration: A Case Study of Nigerian University Graduates

“…This means that long-term processes, for example, changes of cultural meanings and societal behaviors resulting from new information, and the influence of different ways of life introduced by returning migrants (long and shortterm returns), play a crucial role in such knowledge flows but are not well quantifiable. Jöns (2009) has shown this effect in the context of transnational knowledge networks through the example of circular academic mobility to Germany.…”

“…The host country gains human capital, both the home and host society economies experience a positive impact resulting from circulatory knowledge flows, and the migrants themselves also benefit (Salt & Findlay, 1989;Findlay, 1995;Jöns, 2009;Lee & Kim, 2010). The country of destination may also see increased tax income.…”