Abstract
Throughout history the centres of scientific excellence have shifted from an established central position to a peripheral ‘upstart.’ In this shift, the language in which science is communicated is more important than the geographical situation of the upstart, which in turn will become central for a time. This centre-periphery hypothesis is illustrated with the historical example of Germany's loss of the central position it held in the 1920s and 1930s and its replacement by the USA, which assumed the new central position. For how long the USA will be able to keep its central excellence and by what means, for example through the influx of foreign students from Asia, are discussed. Japanese academic science and industrial technology are contrasted, and it is concluded that unless Japan becomes more international, it will inevitably stagnate.
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