Institutional Frameworks and Knowledge Production in Higher Education: Comparing Country and Region Studies and Area Studies (2020–2025)

Abstract

The institutionalization of Country and Region Studies (CRS) as a first-level discipline in China (2022) provides a unique lens for examining how disciplinary frameworks shape knowledge production and, by extension, higher education curricula for global understanding. This study presents a comparative quantitative analysis of Chinese CRS and international Area Studies (AS) knowledge production between 2020 and 2025 using CiteSpace, analyzing publication volume, collaboration networks, keyword clusters, and research hotspots across CNKI (n=431) and Web of Science (n=528) databases. Three key findings emerge. First, institutionalization accelerated publication growth: Chinese CRS output surged after 2022, while international AS maintained steady growth. Second, Chinese CRS scholarship centers on discipline-building discourse—including talent cultivation and curriculum design—whereas international AS is organized around geographically and thematically diverse research objects. Third, Chinese scholars’ international publications primarily focus on domestic governance rather than external regions, revealing structural misalignment between the two knowledge systems. These findings suggest that CRS and AS represent distinct institutional frameworks with different implications for curriculum design and global citizenship education. The study highlights the need for higher education institutions to balance national imperatives with intercultural competence development when designing CRS and AS curricula.