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> While there have been some questions about the quality of some of China's research, its researchers are producing a growing number of the most highly cited pa

> While there have been some questions about the quality of some of China's research, its researchers are producing a growing number of the most highly cited papers. (Oddly, Switzerland has led in this category by a wide margin.) I’d say Switzerland’s excellence in research is rather expected. With average pay significantly higher than other European countries and multilingual society, they are probably a magnet for top talent from other European nations. (If anyone has more info, please feel free to add.) In Asia, Singapore has positioned itself as Switzerland’s equivalent. It has worked itself into a financial and knowledge-based industry hub. Its residents speak multiple major languages, including English and Mandarin, as well as others from Chinese and Indian cultures. The small island state (< 6 million population) is punching above its weight in innovation as reflected in recent rankings of its top two universities (both in top 3 or top 5 in Asia and top 20-30 overall globally; top 10 globally in engineering). (Relatedly, Lee Kuan Yew, the late founder of modern Singapore, was an advisor to several Chinese leadership teams. Several Chinese metropolises probably took inspiration and ideas from Singapore.) Some ideas and policies from Singapore and Switzerland can probably help ignite innovation hubs for other serious governing bodies.

dmichulke 8y ago
Small countries have two big advantages: 1. If government does something really bad (e.g., become am evil dictatorship), the majority of the population just moves 50 km and is suddenly in another country. Businesses move much earlier, so there is lots of tax competition. 2. Corrupt politicians still need to shop and go to the bakery. In small countries you can get easily "hated by the people", making your life miserable. That or the occasional stone in your house's window. Everybody knows where you live. The above two are concrete countermeasures available to the general population against today's standard default "democracy against the will of the people." Compare that to the administrative cities of Washington, Brussels (as EU capital), Brasilia, where no ordinary people live (at least they're physically separated) and where you'd need to move hundreds of kilometers in order to become resident of another country.
adrianratnapala 8y ago
Perhaps we need more small countries. Or, more realistically, we should take advantage of existing federal systems. Could the success of the Silicon Valley owe something to California being a quasi-country? Or even the Bay-Area being a quasi-city state? I can see arguments for and against -- these places benefited from being part of the US, but also from being a bit different.

dmichulke 8y ago

Small countries have two big advantages: 1. If government does something really bad (e.g., become am evil dictatorship), the majority of the population just moves 50 km and is suddenly in another country. Businesses move much earlier, so there is lots of tax competition. 2. Corrupt politicians still need to shop and go to the bakery. In small countries you can get easily "hated by the people", making your life miserable. That or the occasional stone in your house's window. Everybody knows where you live. The above two are concrete countermeasures available to the general population against today's standard default "democracy against the will of the people." Compare that to the administrative cities of Washington, Brussels (as EU capital), Brasilia, where no ordinary people live (at least they're physically separated) and where you'd need to move hundreds of kilometers in order to become resident of another country.

adrianratnapala 8y ago

Perhaps we need more small countries. Or, more realistically, we should take advantage of existing federal systems. Could the success of the Silicon Valley owe something to California being a quasi-country? Or even the Bay-Area being a quasi-city state? I can see arguments for and against -- these places benefited from being part of the US, but also from being a bit different.