Project Summary
This area of my research looks at how science is distributed across the world: where research is produced, where scientific talent comes from and where it moves, and how these patterns are shaped by relationships and tensions between countries and regions. I pay particular attention to artificial intelligence, a field with growing strategic importance, and to the ways nations compete and collaborate in producing it. I am also interested in how newer research ecosystems develop, especially in regions such as the Gulf that have received less attention in studies of global science. My aim is to understand how the geography of knowledge and talent is changing, and what that means for how science is done worldwide.
Publications
- Anju Mary Paul, Zainab Hamid, Kurt W. Kuehne, Maria Sahakyan, and Bedoor AlShebli. “The Role of Institutional Context in Shaping Migrant Scientists’ New Research Collaborations“. Journal of the Knowledge Economy (2026).
(link for publication: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/ s13132-026-03340-9)
- Anju Mary Paul, Kurt W. Kuehne, Karim El-Rafei, and Bedoor AlSehbli. “International Science Faculty in Saudi Arabia: Research Experiences and Challenges” GLMM Policy Brief (2025)
(link to publication: https://www.kas.de/documents/286298/34486370/International+ Science+Faculty+in+Saudi+ Arabia+Research+Experiences+ and+Challenges.pdf/) - Bedoor AlShebli, Shahan Ali Memon, James A. Evans, and Talal Rahwan. “China and the U.S. Produce More Impactful AI Research When Collaborating Together” Scientific Reports (2024)
Media Coverage: Forbes, Brookings
(link for publication: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-79863-5)
(link to Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/kmehta/2025/03/20/ will-doge-cuts-threaten-us- leadership-in-innovation/)( link to Brookings: https://www. brookings.edu/articles/the- global-ai-race-will-us- innovation-lead-or-lag/) - Bedoor AlShebli, Enshu Cheng, Marcin Waniek, Ramesh Jagannathan, Pablo Hernandez-Lagos, and Talal Rahwan. “Beijing’s Central Role in Global Artificial Intelligence Research” Scientific Reports (2022)
(link for publication: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-25714-0)
Works in Progress
Talks
In preparation