RETURN OF HIGHLY QUALIFIED MIGRANTS TO THE WESTERN BALKANS - Compendium of policy papers
RETURN OF HIGHLY QUALIFIED MIGRANTS TO THE WESTERN BALKANS - Compendium of policy papers
Contributor(s): Vladimir Petronijević (Editor)
Subject(s): Social development, Economic development, Migration Studies, EU-Approach / EU-Accession / EU-Development, Human Resources in Economy, Asylum, Refugees, Migration as Policy-fields
Published by: Grupa 484
Keywords: Brain Gain; Returnees; Reintegration; Policy Advocacy; Western Balkans; socioeconomic development
Summary/Abstract: Due to the globalisation process, development of transport and technology (especially IT technology), return has become only a stage in the migration cycle, instead of its final part as it was previously perceived. In the case of migration of highly skilled people and professionals, the return is one stage in the process of “brain circulation” and the possibility to achieve “brain gain”. However, in order to achieve brain gain and the ‘return of innovation’ (Cerase, 1974), characterised by the application of knowledge and experience gained abroad for socioeconomic development of the country of origin, there has to be a motivated returnee with high potentials, but also the support of the government to enable their implementation.
- Print-ISBN-13: 978-86-86001-54-2
- Page Count: 115
- Publication Year: 2011
- Language: English
’BRAIN GAIN’ INSTEAD OF FACING ’BRAIN RE-DRAIN’
’BRAIN GAIN’ INSTEAD OF FACING ’BRAIN RE-DRAIN’
(’BRAIN GAIN’ INSTEAD OF FACING ’BRAIN RE-DRAIN’)
- Author(s):Tanja Pavlov
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Economy, Migration Studies, Human Resources in Economy, Socio-Economic Research
- Page Range:7-30
- No. of Pages:24
- Summary/Abstract:`It took me long to arrive at the decision to return to my home country and hometown. The desire to be with my family and friends and at the same time to provide my country with what I had learnt in foreign laboratories was stronger than to sit in CEO armchairs, be highly paid and world famous. I told my CEO: ‘I am going to Serbia, because I couldn’t live with the fact that I didn’t give it a shot.1 These are the words of a famous returnee to Serbia, Dr Miodrag Stojkovic, the world-renown researcher in genetics, currently 47 years old. After obtaining his PhD in the field of embryology and biotechnology, and working experience in Hamburg, Munich, Newcastle and Valencia, and after numerous accomplishments - obtaining the permit from the British Government to be the first in Europe allowed to start working with embryonic stem cells from human embryos created using cloning technology, creating lines of embryonic stem cells, which the British scientists had been trying to achieve for 5 years unsuccessfully, and becoming one of the 12 most eminent scientists in the world - he returned to Serbia, his home town Leskovac, leaving the position of Deputy Director of the Prince Philip Centre of Investigation in Valencia that lies on 32,000 square meters and has 300 scientistsassociates, after having spent 19 years abroad. Accomplishments of Dr Miodrag Stojkovic upon his return to Serbia and his contribution to the development of the scientific area he works on, to local community and the country in general, demonstrate how much a
ONE OPTION FOR THE HUMAN CAPITAL IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA: RETURN OF HQ
ONE OPTION FOR THE HUMAN CAPITAL IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA: RETURN OF HQ
(ONE OPTION FOR THE HUMAN CAPITAL IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA: RETURN OF HQ)
- Author(s):Emina Ćosić, Boriša Mraović
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Economy, National Economy, Human Resources in Economy, Socio-Economic Research
- Page Range:31-56
- No. of Pages:26
- Summary/Abstract:Knowledge tends to migrate. The higher the educational attainment - the higher are the chances for some sort of (temporary, circular or permanent) international movement. It is empirically well established that highly educated individuals are more likely to migrate or to be involved in mobility schemes. Several comprehensive OECD studies on the PhD holders in OECD region for countries where data is available have clearly demonstrated that “PhD holders are indeed a highly mobile population since a large share of them lived abroad at the time of their education (prior or during doctoral studies) or afterwards during their professional life“. (Auriol, 2010, p.19). The need to track career development of PhD holders comes from an insight that this population is and should be one of the fundamental carriers of development and economic growth based on knowledge. Consequently, the OECD together with UNESCO Institute for Statistics and Eurostat launched a joint project in 2004 with the aim to develop internationally applicable indicators for comparable purposes when the doctorate holders’ careers are concerned (OECD, 2010). Although the migration pattern of MA and BA holders is not extensively followed, they are undoubtedly significant human capital, particularly being much larger in size than PhD population.
TRANSFORMING BRAIN GAIN FROM A CONCEPT TO A REAL GAIN
TRANSFORMING BRAIN GAIN FROM A CONCEPT TO A REAL GAIN
(TRANSFORMING BRAIN GAIN FROM A CONCEPT TO A REAL GAIN)
- Author(s):Riste Zmejkoski
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Economy, National Economy, Migration Studies, Human Resources in Economy, Socio-Economic Research
- Page Range:57-82
- No. of Pages:26
- Summary/Abstract:The migration of high skilled people from the Western Balkans has been a problem of the past two decades. Besides the awareness that there is huge outflow of educated people, the Balkan countries are not investing enough to track this group of people on their migration in the developed countries, or on their way back home. The data that is currently available can be perceived as outdated because no relevant research according to the migration of this profile of people has been done lately. Regarding the presented evidence in the Migration Profile of Republic of Macedonia 2008 (2009) it is presumed that Macedonian citizens who are residing in other countries are highly educated, and that there is also significant number of them working in respected and well known universities and research centers. According to one study, Potential Intellectual Emigration from the Republic of Macedonia, at least 15 to 20 thousand highly educated persons reside outside the country. This represents more than 15% or 20% respectively, of the total number of persons at the age of 15 or more, with completed higher education in the country (Janeska, 2003, p. 65-80). Unfortunately official state institutions still do not have this type of data. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the State Statistical Office, as relevant institutions regarding this type of data, were not able to provide such information so the number of highly educated citizens who have permanently left this country and the number of highly skilled returnees remains unknown.25 On the other side, the universities which have signed contracts for student mobility and exchanges and are crucial actor for this issues also confirm the impression of the governmental institutions about the incomplete data (Ivanov, Bozinoska and Bozoviki, 2011). Even the Macedonian Migration Profile, issued in 2009 by the Government of the Republic of Macedonia assesses the data and sources regarding the emigration from Macedonia to other countries as incomplete.
REINTEGRATION OF HIGHLY SKILLED RETURNEES TO MONTENEGRO - CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
REINTEGRATION OF HIGHLY SKILLED RETURNEES TO MONTENEGRO - CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
(REINTEGRATION OF HIGHLY SKILLED RETURNEES TO MONTENEGRO - CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES)
- Author(s):Marija Cimbaljević, Dženita Brčvak
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Economy, National Economy, Migration Studies, Human Resources in Economy, Socio-Economic Research
- Page Range:83-94
- No. of Pages:12
- Summary/Abstract:Many highly skilled people from the Western Balkan countries emigrate to EU countries or the Unites States for different reasons: employment, further education, better living standards. According to the UNESCO report Science, Technology and Economic Development in South-Eastern Europe, some countries in the Western Balkan region, have lost almost 70% of their skilled professionals, due to external migration of highly qualified personnel. The report states that 79% of engineers, 81% of masters, and 75% of PhDs left Bosnia and Herzegovina since 1995. At the same time, Tirana University recorded a decrease in academic staff by 40%.63 It is still unclear how many students study abroad or how many of them have stayed in the country of emigration. However, the survey conducted by the King Baudouin Foundations showed that very few Western Balkan students, only 26 of 2,137, who study abroad, want to come back to their home country (Besic, 2009). The economic and financial reasons which forced them to leave the country then, are still the most important cause of many young professionals to leave the Balkans. Many of them want to return, but their country of origin does not have policies to reintegrate them into the system and provide them with good living conditions. They have no guaranties, whatsoever. Speaking of Montenegro, this is a country which was faced with the great migration problem twenty years ago, when many of the highly skilled people left the country in order to find better living conditions in the Western European countries (Besic, 2009). Based on the insight into literature dealing with migration of Montenegrin population, we can conclude that this is a theme still waiting to be explored. Scientific work (Gluščević, 2000, Pejović, 2003) from this area, which has been published up to now, certainly is the pioneer work in researching Montenegrin population migration and represents a solid foundation for future research.
IS THE RETURN WORTH IT? - ON THE REINTEGRATION OF HIGH SKILLED RETURNEES IN ALBANIA
IS THE RETURN WORTH IT? - ON THE REINTEGRATION OF HIGH SKILLED RETURNEES IN ALBANIA
(IS THE RETURN WORTH IT? - ON THE REINTEGRATION OF HIGH SKILLED RETURNEES IN ALBANIA)
- Author(s):Blerta Hoxha, Baisa Sefa
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Economy, Migration Studies, Human Resources in Economy, Socio-Economic Research
- Page Range:95-114
- No. of Pages:20
- Summary/Abstract:The potential of intellectuals bears crucial importance especially in transition countries. Although their economies become more and more open towards the world market, emigration particularly of the highly qualified people remains one of the early wounds of development. Following the fall of the communist regime, Albania, as other countries of South Eastern Europe, has faced massive migration flows. Taking a look at different periods that correspond to important transition events, we notice that the amplitude of migration flows has varied. An extensive portion of individuals who left the country consisted of those who were considered the “brain” of society, qualified professionals. There are several complex reasons beyond economic ones that explain their migration propensity. Therefore, a common challenge of both Albanian state authorities and society remained the return of professionals in their home country as well as their effective reintegration into the social, economic and political environment. This implies the process of adaption in the country of origin, so that the accumulated knowledge and experience from abroad would not only benefit individual progress but in the same time the progress of society and of the country in general.
