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Explaining Scientists’ Plans for International Mobility from a Life Course Perspective

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  • Nicolai Netz

    (German Centre for Higher Education Research and Science Studies (DZHW))

  • Steffen Jaksztat

    (German Centre for Higher Education Research and Science Studies (DZHW))

Abstract

We identify factors influencing young scientists’ plans for research stays abroad by embedding theories of social inequality, educational decision making, and migration into a life course framework. We test the developed model of international academic mobility by calculating a structural equation model using data from an online survey of scientists employed at German universities below the rank of full professor. We find that earlier international mobility mobilises scientists to plan a research stay abroad. This turns out to be a potential channel of social inequality reproduction, as individuals from a high social origin in particular spend time abroad in their early life course. Moreover, scientists’ research contexts play a vital role: Internationalised institutional environments and academic disciplines as well as personal international networks create opportunity structures that ease research stays abroad. Similarly, the current social context matters: Parenthood decreases the likelihood of plans for international mobility among female scientists. This may entail long-lasting gender inequalities. Finally, young scientists striving for an academic career are more likely to plan a research stay abroad than those with exit plans. Our results show that beyond the current context, both past life events and future life goals shape scientists’ decisions about international mobility.

Suggested Citation

  • Nicolai Netz & Steffen Jaksztat, 2017. "Explaining Scientists’ Plans for International Mobility from a Life Course Perspective," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 58(5), pages 497-519, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:reihed:v:58:y:2017:i:5:d:10.1007_s11162-016-9438-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s11162-016-9438-7
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Viktor Koksharov & Gavriil Agarkov, 2018. "International Scientific Migration: Progress or a Threat to Russia’s Scientific and Technological Security," Economy of region, Centre for Economic Security, Institute of Economics of Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, vol. 1(1), pages 243-252.
    3. 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.
    4. Anne Laure Humbert & Elisabeth Anna Guenther & Jörg Müller, 2021. "Not Simply ‘Counting Heads’: A Gender Diversity Index for the Team Level," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 157(2), pages 689-707, September.

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