Throughout the next few months, Reload Greece will be presenting a special report on the topic of human capital flight, also known as brain drain. Brain drain specifically refers to a high percentage of educated and skilled civilians leaving the country for better prospects elsewhere. It is not a new phenomenon: it has occurred frequently and it will continue to do so. Sometimes it benefits a country (brain gain) sometimes it can be destructive (the drain).
There are many factors that can cause such a phenomenon to occur, but these factors are best categorised for the sake of pithiness under broader terms: economic, social, political and environmental. However, Reload Greece is concerned with the current state of affairs in the EU, and therefore it will have a more specific socioeconomic focus.
As there has in many senses been a removal of borders within the EU, and visa-free travel, this means that there is – to some extent – free movement. This has resulted in a steady increase of intra-European migration, and there has been a more noticeable rise since the financial crisis.
The Drain
Many southern European countries are in a dire situation: average unemployment and youth unemployment are shockingly high, there are very few opportunities, nepotism and corruption still seem rife, and wages are very low. It is mostly graduates that tend to be leaving in their droves: they are normally armed with Bachelors, Masters and PhDs. They leave for north and west Europe, predominantly Germany, United Kingdom, Belgium, The Netherlands and Switzerland; however, Canada and America also rank favourable on the list of places to emigrate.
A recent survey by the Global Governance Programme, found that over a 50% majority of southern European emigres were unemployed in their home countries for up to six months before finding work abroad. This is clearly an acute crisis, and it must be addressed.
In the same survey, the same reasons for leaving seemed to be apparent across all countries: “I saw no future for me in my country”, “I could find better opportunities for me elsewhere”, “To try a new experience, a new adventure” and “to improve my academic/ professional training”. It is clear that there is a serious gap in these economies, whereby they are not providing enough stimulation or incentives to stay, and therefore are driving people out.
And the Bright Side?
Brain drains are not unique problems: they have existed throughout history, and their causes are varied and plenty. They are also not inherently bad: they can benefit both the sending and receiving country. However, in the southern European case, it seems to be too one-sided, leaving the economies and communities in tatters.
Now the main way to combat it is for governments to create incentives that keep skilled workers in the country, even if their flight is inevitable, an extra few years in the country would still have great impact. However, sometimes, for whatever reasons, governments do not want to or cannot create these incentives. So it is of the utmost importance for us to not just rely on unrealised macro-economic and social policies, and instead find alternative ways to tackle the issue of brain-drain.
Reload Greece’s Third Annual Conference
On 24th September, a conference is being held in London at RCOG near Regent’s Park entitled Enterprising Diasporas: From Brain Drain to Brain Gain. The event will involve experts from a range of areas and institutions: reaching from academia to business. However, it will also bring the communities of London together to exchange ideas and experiences about entrepreneurship.
The answer to these socio-economic problems cannot be simply stated. It would be insulting to even try and find an easy remedy for such a complex situation. Yet Reload Greece sees the necesity in finding alternative and workable solutions to this current brain drain crisis, and communicaiton and collaboration is fundamental to this.
The conference will include diaspora experts and speakers from around the world, ranging from Israel to Ireland, representing institutions from Oxford University to the University of Macedonia in Greece. They will share their ideas on how human capital flight can be reversed, will give insights into how their diaspora networks are structured, and they will offer answers to the multitude of questions that naturally arise when talking about such a complex phenomenon.
What are the questions that come to mind? Are you a diaspora member and want to share your opinion? If you would like to write an article for our Brain Drain tribute then send an email to info@reloadgreece.com