From Westernization to Internationalization: Research Collaboration Networks of Communication Scholars From Central and Eastern Europe

Abstract

The internationalization of communication studies has become a trending topic over the past decades, and there have been many efforts to increase the geographical diversity of the discipline. International collaboration has succeeded in internationalizing the field, and different world regions offer particular strategies for cooperation. However, there is no “royal road” for successful internationalization, and different world regions follow their own trajectories. In this article, we discuss the historical, cultural, and disciplinary features of Central and Eastern European (CEE) communication research and then provide an analysis of the region’s international collaboration in research publishing over the past 20 years. Results point to a growing level of CEE internationalization with expanding geographical diversity, but intra-regional collaboration is still weak. We argue that to raise the international competitiveness of the region, CEE communication scholars might have to develop a regional identity by increasing strategic cooperation between different countries of the region.