Exploring the Role of International Research Collaboration in Building China’s World-Class Universities

This study explored the international research collaboration led by China’s world-class universities and its impact during the first construction cycle of the “Double First-Class” initiative (2016–2020). We collected international collaborative publications based on the Scopus database and examined the performance of international research collaboration in terms of quantity, impact, collaborative networks, and subject areas using scientometric indicators and social network analysis. We found that international collaboration accounts for only a quarter of the total output but is far above the overall level of scientific papers in terms of quality and impact. The United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Hong Kong remain China’s closest partners. Meanwhile, ties with Belt and Road partner countries have become stronger with the introduction of foreign policy. China’s medicine and multidisciplinary research have gained prominence in the context of the global health crisis. Thus, international research collaboration effectively improves research performance, deepens academic networks, and disseminates local issues and solutions to the world, thereby enabling China’s world-class universities to reconcile global engagement with Chinese characteristics.