Knowledge networks among Australian biological scientists

Scientific and technical human capital (STHC) is central to economic development in knowledge societies. Traditional models have viewed human capital as a private good. This has given rise to zero-sum understandings of the mobility of highly skilled human capital such as research scientists. Public policies to attract and retain STHC are designed to enable a region or a country to compete for knowledge workers and avoid the brain drain phenomena. However, recent theoretical and empirical studies have emphasized an alternative approach focused on a network model of human capital distribution. These approaches look at connections between scientists, seeking evidence for the transnational organization of knowledge production through distributed or diaspora knowledge networks (DKNs). This approach poses an alternative to the zero-sum approach to scientific human capital, by positing real knowledge flows and economic benefits that can spillover into different countries and regions. This paper uses evidence regarding a small number of Australian biologists working overseas to test the idea that transnational collaboration can result in real knowledge benefits flowing back to the sending country. The paper uses survey and bibliometric data to search for evidence of such knowledge flows through networks and research collaboration. The data shows that amongst this group of biological scientists there is evidence of transnational networks involving Australian scientists overseas and professional colleagues working in Australia. There is also empirical evidence that these networks are producing scientific knowledge in the form of co-authored scientific papers.