Getting behind the brain drain
that a lack of access to scientific equipment and technology, and
not salaries, is one of the main factors causing the 'brain drain'
of scientists, often from developing countries to the European
Union and the US.
The study collected responses from researchers with a history of mobility in Italy and Hungary, as well as members of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The responses to the different questionnaires were consistent, identifying a number of 'push' and 'pull' factors that affect researchers in their decision to move to a foreign country or to return home.
While scientific equipment and access to technology were quoted as sending foreign researchers to Italy and EU-born researchers to the US, salary levels were not highlighted as an important consideration.
Ms Hansen was also 'shocked' by the implication inherent in the results that women are still choosing between a career and a family. The study showed that women are far less engaged in international mobility than men.
Administrative or bureaucratic barriers continue to be problematic as far as mobility is concerned, and more so in Europe than the US. Some countries have, however, begun to introduce measures to eradicate this. The UK, for example, has introduced a permit system for health and medical services workers, Ireland is fast tracking skilled foreign workers in particular sectors, and Portugal is granting scholarships to support postdoctoral research by foreigners within its borders, reports the CORDIS News Service.
France lends weight to 'diaspora' solution
Meanwhile, France is lending its support to the development of 'scientific diasporas' - self-organised communities of expatriate scientists and engineers - to curtail the impact of brain drain on developing countries.
The move comes in response to a report by the Research Institute for Development, which recommended that government backing could establish these groups and allow scientists to contribute to scientific capacity in their home countries without having to return there permanently. The formation of such communities has been facilitated by the improved networking capabilities afforded by the Internet.
