International Faculty Contribution to Local Research Capacity Building: A View from Publication Data

This descriptive single case study uses a combination of bibliometric, social network analysis, and content analysis methods to explore how international faculty members employed at a flagship university in Kazakhstan contribute to local research capacity building. The database for the study includes 361 scholarly articles retrieved from the Thompson Reuters Web of Science database, in which at least one author is affiliated with the analyzed flagship university. The analysis of the data shows that foreign faculty members contribute to research capacity building by expanding the contextualized knowledge base, by conducting research relevant to policy priorities, by broadening the area of research dissemination, and by integrating the university into the global research networks. The role of foreign faculty in the development of local researchers’ skills and knowledge remains unclear. While our study shows a low level of collaboration between locals and foreigners, this can be attributed to the age of the university under examination and needs to be considered further.