The Interregional Migration of Human Capital: The Case of “First-Class” University Graduates in China

Abstract Human capital has been acknowledged as a key driver for innovation, thereby promoting regional economic development in the knowledge era. University graduates from China’s “first-class” universities—the top 42 universities, included “double first-class” initiative, are considered highly educated human capital. Their migration patterns will exert profound impacts on China, however, little is known about of these elite university and its underlying driving forces. Using data 2018 Graduate Employment Reports, this study reveals that uneven distribution universities differentials largely shaped to work. Graduates were found aggregating eastern first-tier cities, even though appealing talent-orientated policies aimed at attracting had launched recent years by second-tier cities. Employing negative binomial models, investigates how characteristics city destinations affect intensity flows between them. The results showed both jobs urban amenities destination inflow volume graduates; whereas talent attraction introduced many cities not positive effects presently. trend worth follow-up investigation, particularly given ongoing policy dynamics, would shed light disparities China.