Practice and Challenge of International Peer Review: A Case Study of Research Evaluation of CAS Centers for Excellence

Purpose: The main goal of this paper is to show that international peer review can work in China’s context with satisfactory outcomes. Moreover, this paper also provides a reference for the practice of science and technology management.Design/methodology/approach: This paper starts with a discussion of two critical questions about the significance and design of international peer review. A case study of international peer review of CAS Centers for Excellence is further analyzed. Findings: International peer review may provide a solution to address the problem of quantitative oriented research evaluation in China. The case study of research evaluation of CAS Centers for Excellence shows that it is possible and feasible to conduct an international peer review in China’s context. When applying this approach to other scenarios, there are still many issues to consider including individualized design of international peer review combined with practical demands, and further improvement of theories and methods of international peer review. Research limitation: 1) Only the case of international peer review of CAS Centers for Excellence is analyzed; 2) A relatively small number of respondents were surveyed in the questionnaire. Practical implications: The work presented in this study can be used as a reference for future studies.Originality/value: Currently, there are no similarly detailed studies exploring the significance and methodology of international peer review in China.