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Xijie Zhang, M.A. successfully defended her dissertation entitled “Toward efficiency gains in the science systems” on October 30, 2024. The thesis examines possible efficiency gains in the science system and makes valuable contributions in the field of “Economics of Science”. Together with the chair Prof. Dr. Oliver Budzinski (Economic Theory), Prof. Dr. Thomas Grebel (Economic Policy), Prof. Dr. Guido Bünstorf (University of Kassel) and Prof. Dr. Jens Wolling (Empirical Media Research and Political Communication) examined the thesis.

The cumulative dissertation consists of five scientific essays and sheds light on several central topics within the scientific system. The focal points covered include:

1. competition in higher education: How does competition in the higher education system affect the efficiency and quality of teaching and research?
2. market power in the academic publishing market: to what extent can academic publishers retain their market power in the digital age of science?
3. participation of developing countries in global knowledge production: How good are the chances of poorer countries to participate in the global science system?

Through the targeted use of big data, the dissertation provides valuable new insights into how efficiency gains in knowledge production and access to knowledge within the science system can be improved. The results provide valuable impulses for science policy and contribute to a deeper understanding of the structures in the science sector, particularly with regard to international cooperation and the publication system.