BIMSA >
BIMSA Digital Economy Lab Seminar
From Industry to Academia: Boundary-Crossing Mobility and Scientific Productivity of “Young Thousand Talents Program” Scientists
From Industry to Academia: Boundary-Crossing Mobility and Scientific Productivity of “Young Thousand Talents Program” Scientists
Speaker
Xinyue Du
Time
Friday, September 5, 2025 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Venue
A3-2-303
Online
Zoom 435 529 7909
(BIMSA)
Abstract
Understanding how career trajectories shape scientific productivity is essential for assessing the impact of talent policies. This paper examines scientists selected into China’s Young Thousand Talents Program and uses their curriculum vitae as a quasi-natural experiment to identify the effects of industrial experience on scientific productivity. Drawing on a manually constructed dataset, the study compares scientists with and without prior industrial experience, evaluating output in terms of both quantity and quality. The results reveal a clear trade-off: industrial experience significantly reduces the number of publications while enhancing their quality. Mechanism analysis shows that interdisciplinary research serves as a key mediating channel, as scientists returning from industry are more likely to adopt cross-disciplinary approaches to address practical problems. Building on imprinting theory and identity orientation, the study argues that industrial experience reshapes scientists’ identities and research orientations, which explains their stronger propensity for interdisciplinary work. By highlighting the complex trade-off between quantity and quality, this paper contributes to the literature on scientists’ boundary-crossing mobility and provides policy implications for the evaluation and support of high-level talent in China.