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Economic Incentives and the Quality of Return Migrant Scholars: The Impact of China's Thousand Young Talents Program

Author

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  • Jia, Ning

    (Central University of Finance and Economics)

  • Fleisher, Belton M.

    (Ohio State University)

Abstract

We study the effect of the Thousand Young Talents Program (TYTP) on the academic quality of return migrant scientists to China. Using a unique dataset of the top Chinese mathematics departments' new hires, we find that the program leads to considerable increases in measures of their educational background and research productivity. The effects are concentrated in the elite C9 league, where the proportion of hires who received PhD degrees from top-50 overseas mathematics departments increased nearly four times after the initiation of the program. The data also reveal large and statistically significant increases in weighted pre-hire publications and weighted citations to pre-hire publications under the program. However, it appears that research output of previously hired faculty members declined after the introduction of TYTP hires, suggesting minimal or even negative impact of TYTP on faculty colleagues' academic achievements.

Suggested Citation

  • Jia, Ning & Fleisher, Belton M., 2020. "Economic Incentives and the Quality of Return Migrant Scholars: The Impact of China's Thousand Young Talents Program," IZA Discussion Papers 13073, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp13073
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Ash, Elliott & Cai, David & Draca, Mirko & Liu, Shaoyu, 2022. "Bootstrapping Science? The Impact of a Return Human Capital Programme on Chinese Research Productivity," CAGE Online Working Paper Series 628, Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    migration; scientific research; R&D policy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • O38 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Government Policy

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