How do they become globally high achieving? Trajectories, struggles, and achievements of ethnic Chinese humanities and social sciences scholars

The study begins by questioning the underrepresentation of ethnic Chinese scholars in the global mainstream of humanities and social sciences (HSS). While acknowledging significant progress, it highlights the persistent inequalities within global academia, referencing epistemic injustice and the center-periphery model of the world system theory. The study aims to understand how certain ethnic Chinese HSS scholars have achieved global recognition and lasting influence, exploring their experiences in engaging with Chinese and Western cultures and knowledges, and navigating the challenges and opportunities of international academic careers. It acknowledges the existing literature on academic development, focusing on career development, agency-structure interaction, and the identity-trajectory theory. The study emphasizes a holistic approach, considering the scholars' personal and academic lives across time and their active agency in shaping their trajectories.

The existing literature on ethnic Chinese HSS scholars is categorized into two groups. One focuses on their academic development and activities, such as publishing behaviors, academic life, and career development, often examining the influence of national and institutional policies. The other group views these scholars as public intellectuals, emphasizing their engagement with cultures and contributions to the development of Greater China, often highlighting the challenges of navigating between Chinese and Western cultures and knowledges. This literature often discusses the dilemmas faced by Chinese intellectuals in dealing with traditional and modern Western cultures, and the cultural mission they bear in China's modernization. The study notes that much of this research focuses either on academic development or cultural engagement, lacking a holistic approach that considers both simultaneously. Furthermore, research focusing specifically on high-achieving scholars and the key elements of their success remains limited.

The study employs a narrative research design to collect data from ten globally high-achieving ethnic Chinese HSS scholars. These scholars held full professorships at leading research-intensive universities globally, were recognized as world-leading scholars, and had received their education in Greater China. Data collection involved semi-structured narrative interviews (approximately 180 minutes each), analysis of research outputs, blog posts, newspaper articles, reflective pieces, published biographies, and texts of public interviews. The interviews were divided into biographical and semi-structured sections. Data analysis utilized a thematic analysis approach. The study acknowledges the limitations of the small sample size and unbalanced representation in terms of gender and geographical location. Despite the limitations, the depth and richness of the data provide valuable insights.

Four key elements emerged as significantly associated with the participants' academic achievements: strong resilience, engagement with Chinese traditional cultures and knowledges, development of multiple lenses, and the realization of 'zide (自得)'—staying true to oneself. The study illustrates these elements with vignettes from the participants' experiences. **Strong Resilience:** Participants demonstrated exceptional resilience in overcoming various adversities, such as personal loss, political turmoil (Cultural Revolution), and limited resources. Their perseverance and ability to learn from challenges were crucial. **Engagement with Chinese Traditional Cultures and Knowledges:** Many participants emphasized the influence of Chinese traditional cultures and knowledges on their scholarship and life pursuits, incorporating these elements into their research. Some engaged with these elements from a young age, while others integrated them later in their careers due to the perceived limitations of Western theories in explaining Chinese societal issues. **Developing Multiple Lenses:** All participants highlighted the importance of developing multiple lenses—cultural and insider/outsider perspectives—for understanding the world and conducting research. Global mobility and language proficiency were identified as key factors in developing these perspectives, allowing for contrasts and deeper understandings. **Realization of 'Zide (自得)':** Many participants described a process of self-reflexivity and empowerment, leading to a state of 'zide'—staying true to themselves and their research passions. This involved overcoming struggles, tensions between Chinese and Western cultures and knowledges, and institutional constraints. The feeling of being 'torn' was transformed from a burden into a source of strength, allowing them to navigate between East and West.

The findings highlight three groups of reasons for the participants' achievements: personal characteristics (resilience, agency, passion), education and training (academic attitudes, language proficiency, multiple lenses, research skills, understanding of Chinese cultures and knowledges), and structural conditions and opportunities. The study also identifies two broad categories of challenges faced by these scholars. The first category encompasses challenges faced by scholars globally (competition, geopolitical tensions, neoliberal reforms, etc.). The second category includes challenges specific to ethnic Chinese scholars (and potentially other non-Western scholars), stemming from the tension between Chinese and Western cultures and knowledges, global knowledge asymmetries, and feelings of being 'torn'. Despite these challenges, many participants successfully navigated these tensions, demonstrating the transformation of challenges into opportunities for growth and unique perspectives.

This study reveals commonalities among globally high-achieving ethnic Chinese HSS scholars, emphasizing resilience, engagement with Chinese traditions, development of multiple lenses, and achieving a state of 'zide'. These findings offer valuable insights for scholarly training and personal development, suggesting the importance of incorporating diverse cultures and knowledges, supporting global mobility, encouraging multi-perspective debates, and fostering self-reflexivity. Future research should explore further these aspects, including the psychological process of achieving 'zide' and a broader comparison of academic trajectories among HSS scholars from various cultural backgrounds.

The study's limitations include the relatively small sample size and unbalanced gender and geographical representation. The focus on high-achieving scholars might not fully represent the experiences of all ethnic Chinese HSS scholars. Furthermore, the self-reported nature of the data may introduce biases. Future studies should address these limitations by employing larger and more diverse samples.