Scientific collaboration and high-technology exchanges among BRICS and G-7 countries

Over the last two decades, emerging countries located outside North America and Europe have reshaped the global economy. These countries are also increasing their share of the world’s scientific output. This paper analyzes the evolution of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) and G-7 countries’ international scientific collaboration, and compares it with high-technology economic exchanges between 1995–1997 and 2010–2012. Our results show that BRICS scientific activities are enhanced by their high-technology exports and, to a larger extent, by their international collaboration with G-7 countries which remains, over the period studied, at the core of the BRICS scientific collaboration network. However, while high-technology exports made by most BRICS countries to G-7 countries have increased over the studied period, both the intra-BRICS high-technology flows and the intra-BRICS scientific collaboration have remained very weak

Towards a multipolar science world: Trends and impact.

This paper brings together recent statistical evidence on international (co-)publications and (foreign) PhD-students and scholars to document shifts in geographic sources of scientific production and their impact. The evidence demonstrates that despite the continued dominance of the US and the increasing importance of the EU, the TRIAD is in relative decline. Other geographic sources of science outside the TRIAD are rising, both in quantity, but also, although still to a lesser extent, in quality. Especially China drives this non-TRIAD growth. This catch-up of non-TRIAD countries drives a slow but real process of global convergence. It nevertheless leaves a less equal non-TRIAD science community, as the growth of China, is not matched by other non-TRIAD countries. Despite the rise of China’s own scientific production, and the increasing return flows of overseas students and scholars, the outward flows of Asean talents have not diminished over time. The data suggest a high correlation between the patterns of international mobility of scientists and the patterns of international collaborations. The large and stable flow of Chinese human capital into the US forms the basis on which stable international US-Chinese networks are built. With the EU lacking this Chinese human capital circulation, it is more difficult to build up similar strong and stable networks.

Optimismo más allá de problemas: la cooperación de BRICS en educación superior desde la perspectiva china

Multilateral cooperation in higher education among BRICS countries has been under way for 7 years, since 2013. Scholars have different views and judgments, some positive and optimistic, some negative and pessimistic, regarding the significance, progress and prospects of BRICS higher education cooperation (BRICS HEC). What are the views and judgments of participants from Chinese universities? This question has not yet been answered due to a lack of relevant empirical research. To answer this question, six experts in Chinese universities who are involved in organizing or/and researching BRICS HEC were interviewed in this study. The study found that the six experts clearly recognized the necessity and significance of BRICS HEC. They identified the main achievements of this cooperation, including the establishment of two cooperation platforms (i.e., the BRICS Network University and the BRICS University League) and the development of a series of collaborations in student exchanges and research. They also pointed out existing problems, such as the difficulty of achieving multilateral cooperation, difficulty of establishing the mutual recognition of credits and qualifications, and the insufficient enthusiasm among potential participants. Despite these problems, five of the six experts evaluated the progress of such cooperation positively and were optimistic about its prospects. The positive and optimistic views of Chinese experts are contrasted with the problems, obstacles and pessimistic expectations dominant in previous studies, indicating that BRICS HEC is not only supported by the Chinese government but also accepted by Chinese participants. This constitutes an important driving force for the sustainable development of BRICS HEC in the future.La cooperación multilateral en educación superior entre los países BRICS se ha llevado a cabo durante 7 años, desde 2013. Los académicos tienen diferentes puntos de vista y juicios cerca de la importancia, el progreso y las perspectivas de la cooperación en educación superior entre los BRICS (CES BRICS), algunos positivos y optimistas, otros negativos y pesimistas. ¿Cuáles son las opiniones y juicios de los participantes de las universidades chinas? Esta pregunta aún no ha sido respondida por la falta de investiga- ción empírica relevante. Para responderla, en este estudio se entrevistó a seis expertos de las universidades chinas que participan en la organización o investigación de CES BRICS, comprobando que los seis expertos reconocían completamente la necesidad y la importancia de cooperación. Identificaron los logros principales de la cooperación, incluido el establecimiento de dos proyectos (la Universidad de Red de BRICS y la Liga de Universidades de BRICS) y el desarrollo de una serie de cooperación en el intercambio de estudiantes y en la investigación científica. También señalaron los problemas exis- tentes, como las dificultades de cooperación multilateral y de confirmación mutua de créditos y calificaciones, y el entusiasmo insuficiente entre los posibles participantes. A pesar de estos problemas, cinco de los seis expertos hicieron comentarios positivos sobre el progreso de dicha cooperación y se mostraron optimistas sobre sus perspectivas. Las opiniones positivas y optimistas de los expertos chinos se contrastan con los problemas, obstáculos y expectativas pesimistas dominantes en los estudios anteriores, lo que indica que CES BRICS no solo cuenta con el apoyo del gobierno chino, sino también con la aceptación de los participantes chinos, que constituirá una importante fuente de motiva- ción para el desarrollo sostenible de CES BRICS

Contrasting High Scientific Production with Low International Collaboration and Scientific Impact: The Brazilian Case

The article presents an analysis of scientific production and impact among 35 most productive countries in the world. In the period 2000–2016, these countries produced 92% of the world publications. A correlation of international collaboration and scientific impact is shown. Differently from this pattern, Brazil shows high quantitative performance but low scientific impact, which is attributed to its low level of international collaboration. By contrast, instead of a generalized cooperation, as many undeveloped countries do, Brazil uses its internal effort to explore cooperation in a more symmetrical manner. Thus, in several areas, Brazil occupies a prominent position, including technological sectors, enabling it to occupy the eighth world’s economy position. The data confirm that an efficient internal scientific effort combined with well-balanced international cooperation can be more effective to enable countries to achieve higher levels of development in order to meet their technical and socioeconomic challenges. Brazil was able to reach the first step but did not follow the same track concerning higher scientific impact

Effects of R&D internationalisation on R&D investment of firms in South Africa

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Commerce (Development Theory and Policy) 15 April 2016Using a multiple case study approach of three R&D performing firms in South Africa, this research explored whether current R&D internationalisation trends are having a positive or negative effect on South Africa’s investments in research and development (R&D). The research found that, contrary to theoretical proposition, the three firms have not relocated core parts or their entire R&D to technologically advanced countries abroad as a result of their increased international exposure. Instead, they have broadened their scope of R&D to integrate foreign-based knowledge inputs. The research also found that increased internationalisation causes firms to alter their approaches to R&D exploitation through incremental improvements on- and/or finding new applications ofexisting technologies and creating new markets for them. Three motives influenced the firms, namely to access new knowledge not available locally, to access human capital and to exploit existing capabilities in new markets. Where firms reduced their local R&D investment, such activities were not being relocated to abroad. Increased competition fostered firms’ R&D efficiency. Firms reviewed their internal structures to maximise intellectual property (IP) value; they adopted stricter methods for evaluating new R&D requirements; and they afforded higher priority to R&D with better potential for success. Most of this is meant to exploit existing knowledge. The findings are applicable to Emerging Economy Multinational Enterprises (EMNEs) that already have well-established R&D capability at home and experience operating in the international R&D environment.MT201

BRICS Multicultural Internet Projects As a Tool for Integrating and Overcoming Unfavorable Images of Countries

This article is devoted to the problem of a digital cultural project as a resource of cultural diplomacy for the BRICS group. The purpose of the study is to analyze the cultural projects existing on the Internet, their possibilities and potential. Particular attention is paid to the Internet cultural projects of the BRICS, which can be used to overcome the unfavorable images of these countries. The main result of the study is that the BRICS countries practically do not have and do not use the Internet as a resource for promoting joined cultural projects, since they do not develop and do not work on the joint BRICS cultural policy. That is why the author’s recommendation is to first develop common values of the BRICS group, and then this will become the basis for creating cultural projects and promoting BRICS in the world. The BRICS joint value system will contribute to a clear understanding of the group by everyone in the world. Keywords: BRICS, cultural projects, Internet cultural projects, globalizatio

South-South cooperation in health professional education : a literature review

In the literature on the evolution of funding approaches there is criticism of traditional funding strategies and the promotion of inclusive models, such as South-South Cooperation (SSC) and triangular models. The latter are felt to have a number of advantages. This article has four broad objectives: (i) to present a literature review on the evolution of Southern approaches to development co-operation; (ii) to indicate examples of current co-operative programmes in health and health professional education in Africa; (iii) to assess the advantages and disadvantages of these models; and (iv) to mention some emerging issues in monitoring and evaluation. The Boolean logic approach was used to search for applicable literature within three topic layers. Searches were conducted using PubMed, PLoS and other accessible databases. An initial draft of the article was presented to a group of academics and researchers at the Flemish Inter-University Council (VLIR-UOS) Primafamed annual workshop held in August 2010 in Swaziland. Comments and suggestions from the group were included in later versions of the article. It is important to note that the existence of various funding models implemented by a variety of actors makes it difficult to measure their effects. In health and health professional education, however, SSC and triangular models of aid provide conditions for more effective programming through their focus on participation and long-term involvement. With an eye towards evaluating programmes, a number of salient issues are emerging. The importance of context is highlighted

The Decentralisation Of Health Management Systems Through Small And Medium Enterprises In Bric-Countries: A Semantic Model

This article has been developed to provide an analytical framework about the process of health decentralisation that has emerged in BRIC-countries. For this purpose, this study offers a reflection about the process of decentralisation in emerging BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India and China) with theoretical argumentative issues about public health systems, and the reorganisation of the public health sector. The following review consequently focuses upon the managerial aspects of health systems, and SMEs' contribution to services delivery. In accordance, a semantic model organises current key determinants of involved actors in the public health sector for a contribution to understanding the affirmation of multiple forms of development in which the delivery of healthcare services has been critically implemented

Recent Developments in China-U.S. Cooperation in Science

China's remarkable gains in science over the past 25 years have been well documented (e.g., Jin and Rousseau, 2005a; Zhou and Leydesdorff, 2006; Shelton & Foland, 2009) but it is less well known that China and the United States have become each other's top collaborating country. Science and technology has been a primary vehicle for growing the bilateral relationship between China and the United States since the opening of relations between the two countries in the late 1970s. During the 2000s, the scientific relationship between China and the United States--as measured in coauthored papers--showed significant growth. Chinese scientists claim first authorship much more frequently than U.S. counterparts by the end of the decade. The sustained rate of increase of collaboration with one other country is unprecedented on the U.S. side. Even growth in relations with eastern European nations does not match the growth in the relationship between China and the United States. Both countries can benefit from the relationship, but for the U.S., greater benefit would come from a more targeted strategy.Comment: Conference on China's Science and Technology International Relations, April, 2014, Arizona State University; accepted for publication in Minerva, April 201

Narrativas diplomáticas em ciência, tecnologia e inovação: poder, cooperação e perspectivas do brasil como país em desenvolvimento

Science diplomacy has recently become a buzzword in policy and in academic discussions. Definitions and approaches have been informed by literature produced by practitioners of science diplomacy situated in developed countries. This article maps and systematizes narratives authored by Brazilian diplomats on science, technology and innovation (STI) and their connections with international relations dynamics and issues, such as power, cooperation, development, security and the environment. By addressing pieces produced by practitioners as narratives, rather than as scientific categories that describe and analyze social phenomena, the article explores how STI is perceived and framed by Brazilian diplomats. The methodology included the selection and systematization of publications authored by ministers of Foreign Affairs, in whose diplomatic writings the words “science”, “technology”, “innovation” and their variants were searched; and pieces on STI produced by career diplomats. Writing from the perspective of Brazil as a developing country, most of reviewed pieces hold a highly critical view towards the international dimensions of STI, which are not seen as politically neutral. However, none of the diplomats disagree on the need for Brazil and other developing countries to build STI capacities as a means to accumulate power and/or to develop. International cooperation on different geometries is seen as crucial for that though perceptions on the effectiveness of North-South and South-South STI cooperation can vary.A diplomacia científica se tornou recentemente um chavão em discussões políticas e acadêmicas. Definições e abordagens têm sido informadas pela literatura produzida por indivíduos e organizações que atuam na prática da diplomacia científica situados em países desenvolvidos. Este artigo mapeia e sistematiza narrativas de diplomatas brasileiros sobre ciência, tecnologia e inovação (CT&I) e suas conexões com dinâmicas e temas das relações internacionais, como poder, cooperação, desenvolvimento, segurança e meio-ambiente. Ao abordar as obras produzidas por practitioners como narrativas, e não como categorias científicas que descrevem e analisam fenômenos sociais, o artigo explora como a CT&I é percebida e enquadrada por diplomatas brasileiros. A metodologia incluiu seleção e análise de publicações de ministros das Relações Exteriores, em cujos escritos diplomáticos trechos contendo as palavras “ciência”, “tecnologia”, “inovação” e seus variantes foram buscados; e obras sobre CT&I produzidas por diplomatas de carreira. Escrevendo da perspectiva do Brasil como país em desenvolvimento, a maior parte das obras analisadas sustenta uma visão altamente crítica em relação às dimensões internacionais da CT&I, as quais não são vistas como politicamente neutras. Contudo, nenhum dos diplomatas discorda da necessidade de que o Brasil e outros países em desenvolvimento construam capacidades em CT&I como meio para acumular poder e/ou se desenvolver. A cooperação internacional em diferentes geometrias é vista como crucial para tanto, embora as percepções sobre a efetividade da cooperação Norte-Sul e Sul-Sul em CT&I possam variar