Impact of PHDs Trained in Europe and North America on the Productivity of Scientific Research: Evidence from Latin America

Abstract

Purpose: The main purpose of this study is to analyze the differences in research productivity between doctoral degree holders from European and North American universities, and doctoral degree holders from Peru. Theoretical framework: Internationalization of higher education has become a phenomenon of great relevance in recent years (Romani et al., 2021), allowing an increasing number of doctoral researchers to study in foreign countries. However, little evidence has been generated in Latin America. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study uses an explanatory approach based on data mining that analyze data from 863 researchers from 24 public and private universities in Perú, according to the two categories of productivity (high and low) defined by the National Scientific Research Agency. Findings: The results show that of all the factors analyzed, the country of doctoral study is the most important variable in predicting the scientific productivity of researchers. This situation is confirmed when analyzing the number of publications made by researchers according to their category, where a clear tendency in favor of researchers who studied abroad can be seen. Research, Practical & Social implications: The results suggest that international academics are more likely to publish in top-tier journals. Also, the results may be applicable to other countries, but more studies are going to be necessary. Originality/Value: The results of this investigation are relevant, because studies about the academic internationalization effects on scientific productivity are scarce and no previous studies about this topic have been conducted in Latin America.