Since the twenty-first century, universities in many countries, including China, have introduced tenure-track employment to attract outstanding faculty. Through a survey of 1,099 faculty members from 21 high-level research universities in China, this study used a quasi-experimental method to examine the effect of the tenure track on faculty…

This investigation explores gender differences in faculty research productivity in Chinese research-oriented universities. Based on human capital theory and a work-family conflict research framework, this investigation identifies potential variables that influence faculty research productivity. These variables include academic experience, family…

Whilst the impact of the 'publish or perish' adage has received considerable attention from academics in the West, it remains under-researched in non-Western contexts, such as China. We address this gap by examining our lived experiences of navigating Chinese academia and academic publishing in the form of a duoethnographic collaborative…

Incentivizing academic publications in internationally-indexed journals is a current topic of national debate especially in non-anglophone countries. To boost the dissemination of Chinese research results, the central government and higher education institutions had introduced various schemes to encourage international publications. However, a…

The sustainable development of higher education in China has been a key priority for the national, social, economic and political development. Responding to the severe competition in various university ranking systems, most universities in China have set aims to enhance their sustainability in research and publication. There has been a prominent…

South African higher education policies have since 1997 called for the expansion of research collaboration with the African continent and Global South. In this article, the authors' analysed South Africa's international research collaboration trends and patterns during the 2012-2021 period. Focusing on co-authored scholarly publications, the…

In educational research, there has been much stricture of neoliberalism as a scourge. In the higher education sector, the neoliberal turn has been observed as eroding academic freedom and deprofessionalising academics. Early career academics are often described as victims of neoliberalism. In this paper, we take a positive perspective through a…

This book focuses on the topic of academic publishing. It discusses the mounting, serious problems that researchers, particularly new researchers, encounter when trying to publish their research. The book addresses the issues of publishing as well as the salient factors militating against academic publication and the mitigating factors encouraging…

International branch campuses (IBCs) are gaining popularity among students, institutions, and countries worldwide. Despite the significant interest in this field, few studies have reviewed and analyzed the IBC research landscape. This scientometric analysis examines 173 articles related to IBCs that have been published in the Web of Science Core…

Research excellence is one of the key missions of universities and an important engine for socio-economic development. However, the outbreak of COVID-19 has affected academic research in many ways. This study examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the research performance of science and engineering faculty members in China's top research…

The vast majority of Chinese universities have embraced higher education reform that emphasizes a "publish or perish" ideology. This brings challenges to the early-career academics, especially those working in language-related fields. This paper employs a multiple case study to explore the identity tension of early career academics in…

Adopting 'vulnerability' as an analytical lens and informed by a qualitative case study approach, the present study investigates two Chinese scholars' academic writing and publishing practice. The findings reveal different sources and forms of vulnerability that influenced the participants' professional engagements, social interactions and…

This study aimed to understand the tensions in China's national science system as China is becoming a central player in global knowledge production. Publishing patterns and international co-authorship patterns of Chinese universities were utilized to analyse the dynamics and tensions in the national science system. Findings show that China's…

This study examines Chinese universities' incentive schemes for international publication in the humanities and social sciences (HSS). It analysed 172 incentive documents collected at 116 research-intensive universities in China, including monetary bonus schemes and career-related incentives. This analysis is complemented by interviews with six…

In the global competition of higher education, an increasing emphasis has been placed on university research excellence. Accordingly, academics have to engage in both research and teaching activities. The multiple and fragmented identities of academics can sometimes be contested, leading to identity tensions, and impeding their professional…