Brain Circulation Vs Brain Drain
When skilled labor emigrates from a country, it can be argued that it represents a loss of intellectual capital and resource to the nation. Certainly when professionals like engineers, doctors and nurses emigrate en masse, it can pose a real problem to a nation as these professionals help in delivering many critical services to the people of the country. Commentators have labeled this process of emigration of skilled labor as Brain Drain and the process of immigration of skilled labor to foreign countries as Brain Gain, denoting the gain of intellectual capital of host nations receiving this skilled labor.
But some have lately realized that Brain Drain is only one part of the story. The other part of the story relates to the social contacts and international experience the expatriates gain when working or studying in a foreign country. These experiences and social contacts are valuable resources for the country of origin of these expatriates, provided it is able to tap into them, and such a process is called Brain Circulation.
The story has been mixed so far. In some cases like Taiwan, Greater China and India, countries have profited enormously from brain circulation, while in others, brain circulation does not seem to happen in a significant way. Why brain circulation can be witnessed in certain contexts and not in others is a question that is at the forefront of research questions that academics are at present grappling with in this area of study.
Read more about this topic: Brain Circulation
Famous quotes containing the words brain, circulation and/or drain:
“I was taught that the human brain was the crowning glory of evolution so far, but I think it’s a very poor scheme for survival.”
—Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (b. 1922)
“The circulation of confidence is better than the circulation of money.”
—James Madison (1751–1836)
“When we can drain the Ocean into mill-ponds, and bottle up the Force of Gravity, to be sold by retail, in gas jars; then may we hope to comprehend the infinitudes of man’s soul under formulas of Profit and Loss; and rule over this too, as over a patent engine, by checks, and valves, and balances.”
—Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881)