EMERGING AND DECLINING CENTERS OF ENGINEERING SCIENCE - JAPAN AND THEUNITED-STATES

Engineering science, like other fields of research and other world-spa nning endeavors, has its rising and fading centers. This study uses su rveys of academic researchers and literature in engineering to ascerta in the surging Japanese and the relatively declining American research performance. Their recognition and centrality, as well as Japanese an d American engineering scientists' participation in global collegial n etworks are examined Tests corroborate the hypothesis that a place of surging performance (Japan) is deprived of recognition and not yet a m ajor center of influence and collaboration, and that, conversely, a de creasing relative performance of the existing center (United States) c ontinues to accumulate recognition and centrality, exceeding its perfo rmance.