全球顶尖科学家跨国流动与世界科学中心的时空格局演化——基于诺贝尔自然科学类获奖者的分析

The mobility of leading scientists is a crucial factor in shaping the global scientific landscape. Drawing on the education and work resumes of Nobel laureates in natural sciences since 1901, this study explores the spatiotemporal dynamics of leading scientists' mobility throughout their careers and examines the spatiotemporal pattern evolution of the world science center, using their mobility as a lens. The findings reveal several key insights: (1) The international mobility of leading scientists during their education phase exhibits a relatively wide range of sources and a high concentration of destinations. During the work phase, mobility shifts from intra-European movement to transatlantic movement. Compared to the education phase, the flow during the work phase becomes even more concentrated, showing a distinct“cone-shaped”pattern; (2) A transfer of the world science center is evident, driven by the mobility of leading scientists, notably from Germany to the United States between 1930 and 1940. (3) The geographic transfer of the world science center is often led by dominant scientific disciplines, transitioning from single subject breakthroughs to a more balanced disciplinary landscape. Compared to the overall transfer of the science center, disciplinary shifts occur earlier and decline later. (4) A distinct “front and rear” phenomenon characterizes the geographic transfer of the world science center: Birthplace cluster centers typically lag behind awarding centers, suggesting that the world science center is not solely relying on local talents to cultivate, but gradually realizes independent talent cultivation on the basis of gathering talents from other scientific centers. Conversely, education centers precede and decline earlier than awarding centers. This shows that education center is a prerequisite for the formation of science center. In conclusion, this study underscores the intertwined relationship between mobility of leading scientists, the evolution of scientific disciplines, and the shifting geography of global scientific prominence, shedding light on the complex dynamics driving scientific progress.