Exploring the Influence of Returnees’ Scientific Collaboration Networks on Research Performance

Returnee faculty play a pivotal role in international knowledge transfer and the advancement of scientific research within domestic universities.However, the effectiveness of returnees in enhancing institutional research performance remains inadequately understood.This study seeks to quantify and examine the collaborative academic networks of returnee faculty, assessing their impact on research output and funding performance.Based on an extensive academic dataset, comprehensive scientific collaboration networks (SCN) of returnees were constructed and empirically analyzed to elucidate the influence mechanisms underpinning research performance.The findings indicate that the presence of returnee faculty substantially enhances overall publication output and funding acquisition.Further, within the SCN of returnees, both academic influence and network expansion positively correlate with research productivity and funding success, whereas an increase in cooperation density appears to exert a negative effect.Additionally, the evolution of these collaboration networks was explored, revealing that returnees' SCN display lower similarity and retention over time compared to those of native faculty.These insights offer a valuable theoretical basis for improving the management and integration of returnee faculty and optimizing the allocation of higher education resources, thereby fostering more effective pathways for enhancing institutional research outcomes.