Global Mega-Science: Universities, Research Collaborations, and Knowledge Production

Group Submission Type: Book Launch

Description of Session

Never has the world been as rich in scientific knowledge as it is today. But what are its main sources? In accessible and engaging fashion, Global Mega-Science examines the origins of this unprecedented growth of knowledge production over the past hundred and twenty years. David P. Baker and Justin J.W. Powell integrate sociological and historical approaches with unique scientometric data to argue that at the heart of this phenomenon is the unparalleled cultural success of universities and their connection to science: the university-science model. Considering why science is so deeply linked to (higher) educational development, the authors analyze the accumulation of capacity to produce research—and demonstrate how the university facilitates the emerging knowledge society. The age of global mega-science was built on the symbiotic relationship between higher education and science, especially the worldwide research collaborations among networked university-based scientists. These relationships are key for scholars and citizens to understand the past, future, and sustainability of science.

As we show, tracking the evolution of mega-science requires the fuller understanding of the cultural underpinnings of the education revolution. As with any robust institution within a specific cultural period, global mega-science becomes an intensified version of itself, an institution differentiated from the “inside out,” or what can be referred to as the scientization of science. This term reflects the greater institutionalization of a broadening scope of scientific inquiry through expanding domains and a deepening of the scientific activity within existing disciplines.

From the first academies and salons of Europe to ancient universities now in existence for centuries, the university-science model became the blueprint for scientific progress. Our journey across the long “century of science” starts in the German-speaking region, moving west to the U.S. and then back again towards Europe and on to Asia, especially China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan, and, ultimately, worldwide. We track a university-science model developed to such a degree over the twentieth century that most research-oriented universities are organized similarly—everywhere from Berlin and Berkeley to Buenos Aires and Beijing. Adopting some parts of the model at different points in time with various wrinkles from national history and culture, many thousands of universities and, recently, other postsecondary institutions have joined the research game. Universities in countries that produced little to any globally accessible science before the 1980s, including those in Turkey, Brazil, Egypt, and Iran with their contrasting political systems and religious beliefs, now regularly contribute an appreciable flow of papers to the world’s major science journals, usually in English. Even smaller countries, from Switzerland (the most productive per capita worldwide) to Luxembourg and Qatar (with their newer universities) participate actively in global mega-science. This widespread orientation towards producing research not only underpins the training of scientists and the intergenerational transfer of knowledge but also makes universities the main place where research occurs. Today, universities serve as epicenters of research, transcending national boundaries to foster global collaboration.

Analyzing the global flow of scientific papers provides insights into the journey of mega-science over the past century. The exponential growth in publication volume reflects the expansion of scientific knowledge and collaboration on an unprecedented scale. Mega-science is not just a buzzword; it’s a tangible reality shaping the future of scientific inquiry. Testament to human ingenuity and continuous collaboration in service of universal truth-seeking, mega-science highlights the transformative power of education and the enduring relevance of universities in driving scientific progress. As we navigate the challenges and complexities of our contemporary world, understanding the foundations of mega-science is crucial for ensuring its sustainability into the future.

Sub Unit

• Book launches and Workshops / Book Launch

Chair

• Justin J.W. Powell, University of Luxembourg

Book Launch Presenter

• David p Baker, Pennsylvania State University

Discussant

• Maia Chankseliani, University of Oxford