  The global scientific landscape emerges from a complex interplay of
collaboration and competition, where nations vie for dominance while
simultaneously fostering the diffusion of knowledge on a global scale. This
raises crucial questions: What underlying patterns govern international
scientific recognition and influence? How does this structure impact knowledge
dissemination? Traditional models view the global scientific ecosystem through
a core-periphery lens, with Western nations dominating knowledge production.
Here, we investigate the dynamics of international scientific recognition
through the lens of national preferences, introducing a novel signed measure to
characterize national citation preferences and enabling a network analysis of
international scientific recognition. We find that scientific recognition is
related to cultural and political factors in addition to economic strength and
scientific quality. Our analysis challenges the conventional core-periphery
narrative, uncovering instead several communities of international knowledge
production that are rapidly fragmenting the scientific recognition ecosystem.
Moreover, we provide compelling evidence that this network significantly
constrains the diffusion of ideas across international borders. The resulting
network framework for global scientific recognition sheds light on the barriers
and opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and the equitable recognition
of scientific advancements, with significant consequences for policymakers
seeking to foster inclusive and impactful international scientific endeavors.
