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Measuring the Contribution of Postdoctoral Human Capital to Regional Economic Growth: Evidence from Jiangsu Province, China

  • Jul 1, 2026
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Abstract Book of the 11th International Conference on Modern Approaches in Humanities and Social Sciences

Year: 2026

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Measuring the Contribution of Postdoctoral Human Capital to Regional Economic Growth: Evidence from Jiangsu Province, China

Prof Dr. Hongzhuan Chen, Chen Kai, Yutong Yang

ABSTRACT:

Human capital is a critical driver of innovation and economic growth. As an important component of high-level talent, postdoctoral researchers play an increasingly significant role in scientific innovation, technology transfer, and industrial upgrading. However, existing studies have mainly focused on postdoctoral training systems and policy design, while limited attention has been paid to the economic contribution of postdoctoral human capital. Drawing upon human capital theory and economic growth theory, this study investigates the contribution of postdoctoral human capital to regional economic growth in Jiangsu Province, China. An extended Cobb–Douglas production function incorporating physical capital, labor input, and postdoctoral human capital is developed. Furthermore, an entropy-weighting method is employed to construct a comprehensive index of postdoctoral human capital. The empirical results indicate that postdoctoral human capital has a significant positive effect on regional economic growth. Specifically, a 1% increase in postdoctoral human capital is associated with a 0.039% increase in regional GDP. The average contribution rate of postdoctoral human capital to economic growth reached 9.88% during the period 2017–2019, exceeding the contribution of ordinary labor input. These findings suggest that postdoctoral researchers not only serve as key actors in knowledge creation but also constitute an important source of sustainable regional development.

Keywords: Postdoctoral Human Capital; Regional Economic Growth; Human Capital Contribution; Economic Growth Accounting; Jiangsu Province