Global integration, local constraints: how internationalized scientific development shapes early-career research in
Kevin Aguirre-Carvajal1, Vinicio Armijos-Jaramillo1,2
1Bio-Cheminformatics Research Group, Universidad de Las Américas, Quito, Ecuador.
Abstract:
Scientific development in Latin America has expanded through intensified international collaboration, yet structural asymmetries in global knowledge production shape how these gains translate into local research capacity. Early-career researchers (ECRs) occupy a central role in sustaining scientific output, navigating internationally defined expectations of productivity, mobility and visibility while facing precarious employment and limited institutional support. This perspective examines how internationalization pathways, performance metrics and labor structures interact to reproduce dependency within local research systems, highlighting tensions between global integration and sustainable academic careers. We argue that addressing these challenges requires coordinated policy and institutional responses, including public investment, strengthened domestic doctoral programs, transparent career pathways and alignment of international collaboration with local priorities. By centering the experiences of ECRs, this work provides a lens for understanding the broader implications of internationalized scientific development for research capacity, equity and policy in the Global South.
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