How Close Are Universities Socially, Institutionally and Cognitively? An Analysis Through TUBITAK Project Collaborations

Sevim Unutulmaz

Article Details

How Close Are Universities Socially, Institutionally and Cognitively? An Analysis Through TUBITAK Project Collaborations

Authors:

Sevim Unutulmaz

Publisher:

Ahmet Arif EREN

Journal:

Fiscaoeconomia Vol.7 Issue 1, pp.525-549

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

1/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001281872

pISSN:

2564-7504

Keywords:

Abstract:

 Collaboration in science has been around for a long time. Policy designers who aim to foster scientific collaboration across a wide range of fields should take into account proximity factors. In this context, the aim of the study is to examine the relations between scientific collaborations between universities and social, institutional and cognitive proximity dimensions together, using the perspective of proximity. In this way, it is aimed to contribute to the literature by analyzing the relationship between proximity and economic networks. The scope of the study consists of 2323 TUBITAK 1001 projects completed, accepted and successful by 193 universities between 2012 and 2020. The analysis method is a gravity model similar to Newtons universal gravitational law. Analyzes were carried out in the R program. Based on TUBITAK 1001 project data, it is possible to summarize the findings regarding the relationship between closeness and cooperation as follows: The more projects carried out by universities, the higher their tendency to cooperate later. The fact that institutional proximity has a positive and significant coefficient indicates that the same type of institutions are more prone to cooperation. Looking at social proximity, it seems to have a significant and positive effect on scientific cooperation. Universities that have cooperated in the past are more likely to cooperate in the future. Finally, similarities in the scientific fields of researchers in the projects carried out have no effect on scientific cooperation. This means that the same scientific expertise is not important for promoting inter-university collaborations.

 Collaboration in science has been around for a long time. Policy designers who aim to foster scientific collaboration across a wide range of fields should take into account proximity factors. In this context, the aim of the study is to examine the relations between scientific collaborations between universities and social, institutional and cognitive proximity dimensions together, using the perspective of proximity. In this way, it is aimed to contribute to the literature by analyzing the relationship between proximity and economic networks. The scope of the study consists of 2323 TUBITAK 1001 projects completed, accepted and successful by 193 universities between 2012 and 2020. The analysis method is a gravity model similar to Newtons universal gravitational law. Analyzes were carried out in the R program. Based on TUBITAK 1001 project data, it is possible to summarize the findings regarding the relationship between closeness and cooperation as follows: The more projects carried out by universities, the higher their tendency to cooperate later. The fact that institutional proximity has a positive and significant coefficient indicates that the same type of institutions are more prone to cooperation. Looking at social proximity, it seems to have a significant and positive effect on scientific cooperation. Universities that have cooperated in the past are more likely to cooperate in the future. Finally, similarities in the scientific fields of researchers in the projects carried out have no effect on scientific cooperation. This means that the same scientific expertise is not important for promoting inter-university collaborations.

 Collaboration in science has been around for a long time. Policy designers who aim to foster scientific collaboration across a wide range of fields should take into account proximity factors. In this context, the aim of the study is to examine the relations between scientific collaborations between universities and social, institutional and cognitive proximity dimensions together, using the perspective of proximity. In this way, it is aimed to contribute to the literature by analyzing the relationship between proximity and economic networks. The scope of the study consists of 2323 TUBITAK 1001 projects completed, accepted and successful by 193 universities between 2012 and 2020. The analysis method is a gravity model similar to Newtons universal gravitational law. Analyzes were carried out in the R program. Based on TUBITAK 1001 project data, it is possible to summarize the findings regarding the relationship between closeness and cooperation as follows: The more projects carried out by universities, the higher their tendency to cooperate later. The fact that institutional proximity has a positive and significant coefficient indicates that the same type of institutions are more prone to cooperation. Looking at social proximity, it seems to have a significant and positive effect on scientific cooperation. Universities that have cooperated in the past are more likely to cooperate in the future. Finally, similarities in the scientific fields of researchers in the projects carried out have no effect on scientific cooperation. This means that the same scientific expertise is not important for promoting inter-university collaborations.

 Bilimde işbirliği uzun zamandır süre gelmektedir. Bilim insanları arasındaki işbirliği, artan işbölümünün bir sonucu olarak değerlendirilebilir. İşbirliğini artırmaya yönelik geliştirilen politikaların çoğu, yakınlık faktörlerinin işbirliği düzeyi üzerindeki etkilerini hesaba katacak şekilde tasarlanmamıştır. Bilimsel işbirliğini geniş bir alanda teşvik etmeyi amaçlayan politika tasarımcıları yakınlık faktörlerini hesaba katmalıdırlar. Bu bağlamda çalışmanın amacı yakınlık perspektifi kullanılarak üniversiteler arasındaki bilimsel işbirlikleri ile sosyal, kurumsal ve bilişsel yakınlık boyutları arasındaki ilişkilerin birlikte incelenmesidir. Bu sayede yakınlık ve ekonomik ağlar arasındaki ilişki analiz edilerek literatüre katkı sağlamak hedeflenmiştir. Çalışmanın kapsamı 2012-2020 yılları arasında 193 üniversite tarafından tamamlanmış, kabul edilmiş ve başarılı olan 2323 adet TÜBİTAK 1001 projesinden oluşmaktadır. Analiz yöntemi Newtonun evrensel yerçekimi yasasına benzeyen bir yerçekimi modelidir. Analizler R programında gerçekleştirilmiştir. TÜBİTAK 1001 proje verilerine dayanarak yakınlık ve işbirliği arasındaki ilişkiye ilişkin bulguları şu şekilde özetlemek mümkündür: Üniversitelerin yürüttükleri proje sayısı ne kadar çok olursa daha sonrasında işbirliği yapma eğilimi de o kadar yüksektir. Kurumsal yakınlığın pozitif ve anlamlı bir katsayıya sahip olması ise aynı tür kurumların işbirliğine daha yatkın olduğunu göstermektedir. Sosyal yakınlığa bakıldığında, bilimsel işbirliği üzerinde önemli ve olumlu bir etkisinin olduğu görülmektedir. Geçmişte işbirliği yapan üniversitelerin gelecekte de işbirliği yapma olasılıkları daha yüksektir. Son olarak yürütülen projelerde araştırmacıların bilimsel alanlarındaki benzerliklerin bilimsel işbirliği üzerinde hiçbir etkisi yoktur. Bu durum aynı bilimsel uzmanlığın üniversiteler arası işbirliklerini teşvik etmek için önemli olmadığı anlamını taşımaktadır.

Article Details

How Close Are Universities Socially, Institutionally and Cognitively? An Analysis Through TUBITAK Project Collaborations

Authors:

Sevim Unutulmaz

Publisher:

Ahmet Arif EREN

Journal:

Fiscaoeconomia Vol.7 Issue 1, pp.525-549

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

1/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001281872

pISSN:

2564-7504

Scientific Collaboration

Social Proximity

Institutional Proximity

Cognitive Proximity

Gravity Model.

Bilimsel İşbirliği

Sosyal Yakınlık

Kurumsal Yakınlık

Bilişsel Yakınlık

Yerçekimi Modeli.

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Sevim Unutulmaz

Publisher: Ahmet Arif EREN

Journal: Fiscaoeconomia Vol.7 Issue 1, pp.525-549

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 1/2023

Document Language: Turkish

Document ID (Org No.): 2001281872

pISSN: 2564-7504

Issues

Authors:

Sevim Unutulmaz

Publisher:

Ahmet Arif EREN

Journal:

Fiscaoeconomia Vol.7 Issue 1, pp.525-549

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

1/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001281872

pISSN:

2564-7504