Transcript June 27th 2012 James Cemmell Education policy advisor [email protected] ‘In this context, the loss of skilled labour is of vital importance for development and.

June 27th 2012
James Cemmell
Education policy advisor
[email protected]
‘In this context, the loss of skilled labour is of vital importance for
development and development potential. The loss of teachers undermines
the ability of schools and education systems to function, the loss of nurses
impairs efforts to deliver even basic healthcare and public health
programmes and the loss of other skilled professionals acts as a barrier to
institutional capacity building, the efficient utilisation of external assistance
and private sector growth.
The ‘Brain Drain’, as the flow of skilled professionals out of developing
countries has become known, thus marks a potentially serious barrier to
economic growth, development and poverty reduction.’
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Migration policy to address highly skilled migration flows
Response from the higher education community
Post-Bucharest: developing policy and embedding sustainable practice
Brain Drain
permanent or long-term international emigration of skilled people who have been
the subject of considerable educational investment by their own societies.
◦ UK hiring of clinicians from S. E. Asia, S. Africa; PM Initiative, Lisbon Objective?
◦ Stimulated by highly skilled migration permits; balanced by DfID policy!
Migration or Mobility
of “highly skilled persons”, which does not imply a pre-conceived view (‘drain’) on
the impact of the movement
◦ ‘Hire Lebanese’ website for hires in the MENA region.
◦ Brain waste vs remittance benefits
Circulation
return is a static concept while mobility and circulation are better able to capture
dynamics of current migration: multilateral movements.
◦ Concept of transnational citizens
◦ Pull: active diaspora, attractiveness policy – Ireland has developed best practice;
Poland EU circulation significant
◦ Push: give your citizens a positive experience; minimise all push factors under
your control
Paradigm
State centric
Globalisation
Post-modern /
complexity
Policy response
Compensation
Virtuous
circulation
Balancing policies
Terminology
Brain drain
Brain circulation
Balanced flows
Positive effects
Negative effects
" Provides rewarding opportunities to educated workers
not available at home.
" Inflow of remittances and foreign exchange
" Induced stimulus to investment in domestic education
and individual human capital investments
" Return of skilled persons increases local human
capital,
transfer of skills and links to foreign networks
" Technology transfer, investments by diasporas
" Circulation of brains promotes integration into global
markets (India, Taiwan, (China)).
" Short term movements of service providers (GATS
Mode 4) generate benefits for both receiving and
sending countries.
" ICT allows countries to benefit from diasporas.
" Net decrease in human capital stock, especially those
with valuable professional experience
" Reduced growth and productivity because of the lower
stock of human capital
" Fiscal loss of heavy investments in subsidized
education
" Remittances from skilled migration may taper off.
" Reduced quality of essential services of health and
education
" Students educated at government expense or own
resources in foreign countries imply further drain
" Opportunities for short-term movement of natural
persons is seriously constrained by immigration policies
of developed countries.
" Causes increasing disparities in incomes in country of
origin.
Return of migrants to their source country
Permanent return focus of most policies
Restriction of international mobility
Restrictive emigration/immigration policies (explicit and e.g. national trades)
Recruitment of international migrants
Court foreign workers (tax incentives, simplified visa regimes)
Reparation for loss of human capital (tax)
Compensate source countries, or emigrants directly submit taxes, to deal with
externalities created by the immediate loss of human capital
Resourcing expatriates (Diaspora options)
Significant resource, if ongoing contact between academic and private sector
institutions is fostered. Government and private sector initiatives seek to increase
communications, knowledge transfer, remittances, and investment.
Retention though educational sector policies
Creating a highly educated workforce begins with strengthening domestic educational
institutions. A viable system that encourages graduates to stay with the system, that
retains people, ensures that the source country keeps its original investment.
Retention through economic development
Giving people a reason to stay (or return) is doubtless the most effective policy for
reducing emigration and the surest long-term means of boosting average human
capital, as well as economic growth.
Sending country
Receiving country
" Incentives to remain and return
" Promote linkages with nationals abroad:
promote diaspora networks
" Promote short term movements of
professionals using GATS Mode 4 and
other means
" Attain fast growth and diversified
economy
" Targeted investments in human capital
to compensate for losses experienced
" Dual citizenship and diaspora
recognition arrangements
" Greater emphasis on R&D and creation
of centers of excellence with support from
receiving countries
" Incentives to attract expatriate
investments
" Information about opportunities at home
" A brain-circulation friendly visa regime
" Promote networking with home
countries and support diaspora for source
country development
" Reduce student fees especially from
major source countries
" Follow ethical recruitment practices and
regulate recruitment companies
" Honour and promote GATS
commitments
" Encourage temporary movements of
qualified staff
" Divert technical assistance to education
and training fields
" Support diaspora arrangements
" Awareness-raising of nationals on the
contribution of skilled migrants to the
host country.
Sending country
Receiving country
" Excessive reliance on administrative
controls
" Suppress democratic and human rights
" High taxation of returnees
" Restrictive visa practices which
discourage temporary departures or brain
circulation
" Brain waste through monopolistic
practices of professional associations
" Mass recruitment campaigns in at-risk
countries.
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International strategy/ external dimension
Leuven -> Bucharest
Mobility strategy
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‘ESIB [ESU] believes in the freedom of each student, researcher and member
of teaching staff to choose their place of study, work and life,’
but
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‘Making Europe one of the most attractive higher education areas, countries
have to act responsibly in relation to the problem of brain drain, both
between Bologna signatory countries and outside.’
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Address push factors: ‘Guaranteeing safe employment and working
conditions for students, staff and researchers in the qualification phase can
reduce the problem of brain drain and enhance the attractiveness of the
EHEA.‘
Promote employment: ‘This also means that PhD candidates should be
employed by the universities, and enough full time jobs have to be provided
for young researchers to make the academic workplace an attractive option
for them.’
Global links: ‘Promote research and innovation in third countries through
appropriate links’
Support growth: ‘Financing for small high-potential companies right’
Promote brain circulation: “Brain circulation” should also be promoted for
European students, teachers and researchers who have decided to spend part
of their working life outside Europe
‘People undertaking a temporary assignment abroad are both an asset for
the sending and/or hosting country as they constitute a reserve of
professional contacts abroad, acting as bridgeheads for sharing knowledge.’
Leuven Communique (theory)
20% by 2020:
‘We believe that mobility of students, early stage researchers
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and staff enhances the quality of programmes and excellence in research; it
strengthens the academic and cultural internationalization of European
higher education.’
Inclusivity key: ‘Mobility should also lead to a more balanced flow of
incoming and outgoing students across the European Higher Education Area
and we aim for an improved participation rate from diverse student groups.’
Bucharest Communique (practice)
Sustainable mobility: ‘We strive for open higher education systems and better

balanced mobility in the EHEA. If mobility imbalances between EHEA
countries are deemed unsustainable by at least one party, we encourage the
countries involved to jointly seek a solution, in line with the EHEA Mobility
Strategy. ‘
Focus on the graduate ‘brain’:
 Our demand for more balanced mobility is directed particularly at degree
mobility since it can have a sustained effect on the host and home countries,
can facilitate capacity building and cooperation and may lead to brain gain
on the one side and to brain drain on the other.
Future monitoring – data gathering:
 In order to be able to better evaluate the development of degree mobility in
the EHEA and react in good time to possible negative consequences for
certain countries and regions, we intend in future to analyse the mobility
flows systematically and regularly.
Suggestion of compensatory route?
 If the findings show greater imbalances over longer periods of time, the
governments concerned should jointly investigate the causes, consider
carefully the advantages and disadvantages of the specific imbalance and
seek solutions if deemed necessary. Dealing with the matter multilaterally
might also be considered.
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Deliver attractive/responsive environment
Environment characterised by realisation that national capture not always
possible
Internationalism at home – EHEA as a supranational Area
Student as barometer?
Faculty, Institutional, Student, Ministry roles?
Opportunities moving towards Armenia 2015
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Moving from an International to Area Wide higher education approach to
advantage full opportunities of Bologna membership?
Potential to deliver enhanced mobility under auspices of education
cooperation?
Identify sources of brain circulation opportunities?
Identify key push factors, how to mitigate?
Identify key pull factors, how to mitigate?