Exporting Through Complexity: The Indirect Influence of Higher Education on Export Intensity
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Exporting Through Complexity: The Indirect Influence of Higher Education on Export Intensity

Shenghua Zou 1*
1 The University of Warwick
*Corresponding author: sherward.zou@outlook.com
Published on 20 August 2025
Journal Cover
AEMPS Vol.211
ISSN (Print): 2754-1177
ISSN (Online): 2754-1169
ISBN (Print): 978-1-80590-321-5
ISBN (Online): 978-1-80590-322-2
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Abstract

This study examines the socioeconomic determinants of trade performance, with a particular focus on tertiary education, export structure, export intensity, and GDP. The research intention is to figure out whether a country's advantage in higher education translates into stronger export outcomes through a mediating mechanism, and to what extent this effect is observed. To address this question, this research employs mediation analysis using the causal steps regression approach, and the results are reviewed with robustness test using the bootstrap method. Research data come from public open databases. The empirical findings suggest that tertiary education serves as a significant secondary drive of exports. Notably, a substantial portion of this influence operates indirectly and primarily through enhancing the complexity of the export structure. These results imply that the diversity and specialization of university programs underpin the educational edge in export performance, highlighting the critical role of human capital composition in shaping a nation's comparative advantage in international trade.

Keywords:

Mediation analysis, Export intensity, Export complexity, Tertiary education.

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Zou,S. (2025). Exporting Through Complexity: The Indirect Influence of Higher Education on Export Intensity. Advances in Economics, Management and Political Sciences,211,61-72.

References

[1]. Mamadouh, V. (2023). Geography and war, geographers and peace: Expanding research and political agendas. Making geographies of peace and conflict, 12-36.

[2]. Ali, A., Fatima, N., Rahman Ali, B. J. A., & Husain, F. (2023). Imports, Exports and Growth of Gross Domestic Product (GDP)-A Relational Variability Analysis. International Journal of Sustainable Development & Planning, 18(6).

[3]. Jia, Z., Wang, Y., Chen, Y., & Chen, Y. (2022). The role of trade liberalization in promoting regional integration and sustainability: The case of regional comprehensive economic partnership. Plos one, 17(11). 2

[4]. Odhiambo, N. M. (2022). Is export-led growth hypothesis still valid for sub-Saharan African countries? New evidence from panel data analysis. European Journal of Management and Business Economics, 31(1), 77-93.

[5]. Anyanwu, J. C., & Salami, A. O. (2021). The impact of COVID‐19 on African economies: An introduction. African Development Review, 33(Suppl 1), S1.

[6]. Kumar, S., Shahid, A., & Agarwal, M. (2024). Is BRICS expansion significant for global trade and GDP?. BRICS Journal of Economics, 5(4), 5-36.

[7]. Udeagha, M. C., & Ngepah, N. (2023). Towards climate action and UN sustainable development goals in BRICS economies: do export diversification, fiscal decentralisation and environmental innovation matter?. International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development, 15(1), 172-200.

[8]. Mankiw, N. G. (2021). Principles of economics. http: //thuvienso.thanglong.edu.vn/handle/TLU/11469

[9]. Dosi, G., & Tranchero, M. (2021). The role of comparative advantage, endowments, and technology in structural transformation. New perspectives on structural change: causes and consequences of structural change in the global economy, 442-474.

[10]. Mulliqi, A. (2021). The role of education in explaining technology-intensive exports: A comparative analysis of transition and non-transition economies. Eastern Journal of European Studies, 12(1), 141–172.

[11]. Hossain, J. Exploring the Role of Exports in Economic Growth: A Panel Study Across Diverse Income Economies.

[12]. Reed, T. (2024). Export-led industrial policy for developing countries: Is there a way to pick winners?. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 38(4), 3-26.

[13]. Tran, H. T., Santarelli, E., & Wei, W. X. (2022). Open innovation knowledge management in transition to market economy: Integrating dynamic capability and institutional theory. Economics of Innovation and New Technology, 31(7), 575-603.

[14]. Reyes-Heroles, R. (2018). Globalization and structural change in the united states: A quantitative assessment. In 2018 Meeting Papers (Vol. 1027). Society for Economic Dynamics.

[15]. World Bank. (2020). World Development Report 2020: Trading for Development in the Age of Global Value Chains. Washington, DC: World Bank. https: //doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-1457-0

References

[1]. Mamadouh, V. (2023). Geography and war, geographers and peace: Expanding research and political agendas. Making geographies of peace and conflict, 12-36.

[2]. Ali, A., Fatima, N., Rahman Ali, B. J. A., & Husain, F. (2023). Imports, Exports and Growth of Gross Domestic Product (GDP)-A Relational Variability Analysis. International Journal of Sustainable Development & Planning, 18(6).

[3]. Jia, Z., Wang, Y., Chen, Y., & Chen, Y. (2022). The role of trade liberalization in promoting regional integration and sustainability: The case of regional comprehensive economic partnership. Plos one, 17(11). 2

[4]. Odhiambo, N. M. (2022). Is export-led growth hypothesis still valid for sub-Saharan African countries? New evidence from panel data analysis. European Journal of Management and Business Economics, 31(1), 77-93.

[5]. Anyanwu, J. C., & Salami, A. O. (2021). The impact of COVID‐19 on African economies: An introduction. African Development Review, 33(Suppl 1), S1.

[6]. Kumar, S., Shahid, A., & Agarwal, M. (2024). Is BRICS expansion significant for global trade and GDP?. BRICS Journal of Economics, 5(4), 5-36.

[7]. Udeagha, M. C., & Ngepah, N. (2023). Towards climate action and UN sustainable development goals in BRICS economies: do export diversification, fiscal decentralisation and environmental innovation matter?. International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development, 15(1), 172-200.

[8]. Mankiw, N. G. (2021). Principles of economics. http: //thuvienso.thanglong.edu.vn/handle/TLU/11469

[9]. Dosi, G., & Tranchero, M. (2021). The role of comparative advantage, endowments, and technology in structural transformation. New perspectives on structural change: causes and consequences of structural change in the global economy, 442-474.

[10]. Mulliqi, A. (2021). The role of education in explaining technology-intensive exports: A comparative analysis of transition and non-transition economies. Eastern Journal of European Studies, 12(1), 141–172.

[11]. Hossain, J. Exploring the Role of Exports in Economic Growth: A Panel Study Across Diverse Income Economies.

[12]. Reed, T. (2024). Export-led industrial policy for developing countries: Is there a way to pick winners?. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 38(4), 3-26.

[13]. Tran, H. T., Santarelli, E., & Wei, W. X. (2022). Open innovation knowledge management in transition to market economy: Integrating dynamic capability and institutional theory. Economics of Innovation and New Technology, 31(7), 575-603.

[14]. Reyes-Heroles, R. (2018). Globalization and structural change in the united states: A quantitative assessment. In 2018 Meeting Papers (Vol. 1027). Society for Economic Dynamics.

[15]. World Bank. (2020). World Development Report 2020: Trading for Development in the Age of Global Value Chains. Washington, DC: World Bank. https: //doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-1457-0

Cite this article

Zou,S. (2025). Exporting Through Complexity: The Indirect Influence of Higher Education on Export Intensity. Advances in Economics, Management and Political Sciences,211,61-72.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

About volume

Volume title: Proceedings of ICEMGD 2025 Symposium: Resilient Business Strategies in Global Markets

ISBN: 978-1-80590-321-5(Print) / 978-1-80590-322-2(Online)
Editor: Florian Marcel Nuţă Nuţă, Li Chai
Conference website: https://2025.icemgd.org/CAU.html
Conference date: 20 September 2025
Series: Advances in Economics, Management and Political Sciences
Volume number: Vol.211
ISSN: 2754-1169(Print) / 2754-1177(Online)

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