Working Paper: NBER ID: w20026
Authors: George J. Borjas; Kirk B. Doran
Abstract: Many economists believe knowledge production generates positive spillovers among knowledge producers. The available evidence, however, is mixed. We argue that spillovers can exist along three dimensions (idea, geographic, and collaboration space). To isolate the key channel through which knowledge spills over, we use a unique data set to examine the impact of a large post-1992 exodus of Soviet mathematicians on the output of the non-émigrés. Although the data reveal strong competitive effects in idea space, there is evidence of knowledge spillovers in collaboration space, when high-quality researchers directly engage with other researchers in the joint production of new knowledge.
Keywords: knowledge production; spillovers; human capital; Soviet mathematicians
JEL Codes: D83; J24; O31
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| 10 percentage point increase in the outmigration rate in idea space (R23) | 7% increase in the number of papers published by the remaining Soviet mathematicians (P24) |
| loss of high-quality collaborators (L15) | 8% decline in publications for every 10% of collaborators who emigrate (F22) |
| 10 percentage point increase in the outmigration rate in idea space (R23) | no consistent evidence of a link between productivity and supply shocks in geographic space (R12) |
| 10 percentage point increase in the outmigration rate in idea space (R23) | no consistent evidence of a link between productivity and supply shocks in collaboration space (J29) |