Research Seminar: Unveiling the Latent Structures within the Global Science System

The Growth Lab’s Research Seminar series is a weekly seminar that brings together researchers from across the academic spectrum who share an interest in growth and development.

Speaker: Lili Miao, Ph.D. candidate at Indiana University, School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering

Location: W434-B / Zoom Whether attending in person or online please register in advance.

Speaker Bio: Lili Miao is a Ph.D. candidate at Indiana University, School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering. Her research focuses on applying computational methods to understand the interactions among science, innovation, and society. Besides publishing in renowned venues, her research has served as an integral basis for formulating a pilot program—A National Network for Critical Technology Assessment—funded by the NSF and dedicated to informing U.S. national technology policy. She is a recipient of several awards including the Humane Studies Fellowship from the Institute for Humane Studies and the Best Poster Award at the 1st International Conference on the Science of Science & Innovation.

Paper Abstract: Science is crucial for innovation and economic prosperity. While numerous studies have investigated the factors influencing national scientific development, it remains unclear whether universal structures and trajectories exist. Meanwhile, science is increasingly a global activity, characterized by the exchange of knowledge, resources, and people across national borders. Exchanges, however, can often be asymmetrical, posing risks and costs to global science. Using bibliometric data, this talk will delve into the underlying structures of national scientific development and examine the impact of global funding and collaboration on national scientific development. The talk will discuss the vicious cycles that hinder the scientific development of developing countries, the benefits and risks of relying on foreign scientific funding, and the threats to achieving an equitable global science system. It will conclude with a review of relevant global science policies and recommendations for leveraging large-scale data to formulate and evaluate national and international science policies.