[en] Global Mega-Science explains the unprecedented worldwide expansion of higher education and of research collaborations that have transformed the production of science. Growing global science capacity relies on the rise of the research university and unprecedented investments in research, which reflects the influential global ”university-science model”. Most nations have established research universities to educate academics and professionals—all contribute to scientific discovery. Science increasingly relies on global collaborative efforts, esp. the STEM+ disciplines and “mega-science” projects, such as the Covid-19 vaccines, but all fields rely more than ever on collaboration within diverse networks. Unique in its historical scope (1900-2020) and in theorizing the rise of “mega-science” via the worldwide diffusion of the “university-science model”, the book covers numerous cases of historically leading science countries, from Germany and the United States to China and other Asian countries as well as small states with the newest research universities (Luxembourg, Qatar)—embedded in worldwide trends and patterns. 2023 marks 60 years since the founder of bibliometrics, Derek de Solla Price, published his seminal contribution "Little Science, Big Science" (1963). We explicitly disprove his hypothesis that science growth would slow down; instead, we find pure exponential growth in publications and collaborations.
Endorsements for Baker, David P. & Justin J.W. Powell. 2024. Global Mega-Science: Universities, Research Collaborations, and Knowledge Production. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
“It’s hard to think of a more prescient moment to interrogate the role of science, knowledge, and higher education globally. In the face of rising anti-science conspiracy theories, Baker and Powell remind us that scientific knowledge is exponentially expanding and that universities remain an indispensable force. A timely and essential read.” —Cynthia Miller-Idriss, American University.
“In a tour-de-force combination of empirics and theorizing, Baker and Powell deftly portray a revolution in knowledge whose near-invisibility is a mark of its constitutional role in shaping world society. Rendered with concision and wit, Global Mega-Science also serves as an excellent introduction to sociological institutionalism.” —Mitchell L. Stevens, Stanford University
“This wonderful, timely book on the truly global character of science and higher education interweaves rich quantitative data with a rare sense for storytelling. Baker and Powell provide a compelling analysis of the multiple and, in sum, positive aspects of how different societies are shaped and connected by the unprecedented creation and transfer of knowledge.” —Georg Krücken, International Center for Higher Education Research (INCHER / Kassel University).
“Global Mega-Science is both thoroughly detailed and remarkably expansive. By blending both empirics and theory, the authors apply a comparative and historical perspective to the study of science, universities, globalization, and world society.” —Gili S. Drori, Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
“Global Mega-Science chronicles the incredible pace of scientific discovery and collaboration over the past hundred years. The impressive original bibliometric dataset reveals a dynamic, globally interconnected scientific landscape. The compelling argument focuses on the higher education revolution and the spread of the university-science model as drivers of today’s mega-science. A must-read.” —Kathrin Zippel, Freie Universität Berlin.
“Baker and Powell’s grand tour through Germany, the US, China, and across the globe describes an explosion of science so vast as to defy imagination. Their brilliant analysis of university-based science brings startling clarity to the nature of this revolution, its implications, and ultimately why scholars everywhere should be paying more attention to global mega-science.” —Evan Schofer, University of California, Irvine.
“The authors present a compelling argument regarding the educational revolution and the pivotal role of a research-oriented university as a driving force behind the advancement of contemporary science.”
—Pablo Kreimer, Higher Education
“Global Mega-Science not only maps out the vast landscape of global mega-science but also prompts a re-evaluation of how we see the relationship between education and science—making it a must-read for anyone thinking about the future paths of these intertwined fields.”—Maia Chankseliani, Minerva
“Global Mega-Science is a thought-provoking and well-researched book that illuminates the intricate world of
large-scale scientific projects. The extensive use of case studies enriches the narrative, making complex concepts accessible to both scholars and practitioners. It is highly recommended for researchers, policymakers, and anyone interested in the intersection of science and global affairs.”—Gordon Gauchat, Social Forces
“Baker and Powell... do a great job at providing food for thought about some of the big questions that science policy has for too long ignored.”—Merle Jacob, Contemporary Sociology
“For researchers of higher education and sociologists of knowledge production, David Baker and Justin Powell’s book will be an inspiration and a highly useful intellectual nourishment for decades to come.”
—Anatoly Oleksiyenko, Comparative Education Review
