E.g., 04/16/2024
E.g., 04/16/2024
Brain Drain & Brain Gain

Brain Drain & Brain Gain

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The movement of skilled workers internationally represents brain gain for the countries that reap their skills and experience and brain drain for their countries of origin. On the brain gain side of the divide, countries increasingly are looking to position their immigration policies to attract the types of international workers and students whose skills they desire. On the brain drain side, the development impacts of losing educated workers are being assessed in immigrant-sending and receiving countries alike as the research presented here shows.

Recent Activity

Cover image for Deepening Labor Migration Governance at a Time of Immobility: Ghana and Senegal
Policy Briefs
July 2021
Deepening Labor Migration Governance at a Time of Immobility: Lessons from Ghana and Senegal
By  Camille Le Coz and Kate Hooper
Scaffolding surrounds a mosque in Iran.
Articles
April 22, 2021
Iran Loses Highly Educated and Skilled Citizens during Long-Running “Brain Drain”
By Hassan Mahmoudi
CCCM-ep10-tile-haraldsterly
Multimedia
April 2, 2021
The Benefits of Climate Migration
thailand flooding climate migration
Articles
December 3, 2020
Building Climate Resilience through Migration in Thailand
By Patrick Sakdapolrak and Harald Sterly
The National Museum of History in Tirana, Albania features a large mosaic with nationalist imagery.
Articles
August 25, 2020
Southeastern Europe Looks to Engage its Diaspora to Offset the Impact of Depopulation
By Silviu Kondan
Grape pickers in France
Articles
May 1, 2020
Under Lockdown Amid COVID-19 Pandemic, Europe Feels the Pinch from Slowed Intra-EU Labor Mobility
By Monica Andriescu
AfricanUnionMinisterialConferenceonMigration
Articles
April 2, 2020
Africa Deepens its Approach to Migration Governance, But Are Policies Translating to Action?
By Camille Le Coz and Antonio Pietropolli
Indian nurses in a classroom
Articles
January 23, 2020
Global Demand for Medical Professionals Drives Indians Abroad Despite Acute Domestic Health-Care Worker Shortages
By Margaret Walton-Roberts and S. Irudaya Rajan

Pages

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Reports
February 2016
Emigration Trends and Policies in China: Movement of the Wealthy and Highly Skilled
By  Biao Xiang
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Reports
February 2016
Reaching a “Fair Deal” on Talent: Emigration, Circulation, and Human Capital in Countries of Origin
By  Kate Hooper and Madeleine Sumption
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Reports
December 2015
The Changing Face of Emigration: Harnessing the Potential of the New Greek Diaspora
By  Jennifer Cavounidis
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Policy Briefs
December 2015
Shortage Amid Surplus: Emigration and Human Capital Development in the Philippines
By  Dovelyn Rannveig Mendoza
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Reports
November 2015
The Re-Emergence of Emigration from Ireland: New Trends in An Old Story
By  Irial Glynn , Tomás Kelly and Piaras Mac Éinrí
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Reports
November 2015
The Southeast Asia-Australia Regional Migration System: Some Insights into the “New Emigration”
By  Graeme Hugo , Janet Wall and Margaret Young
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Reports
November 2015
Rethinking Emigration: Turning Challenges into Opportunities (Transatlantic Council Statement)
By  Demetrios G. Papademetriou
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Policy Briefs
March 2015
Women’s Labour Migration from Asia and the Pacific: Opportunities and Challenges
By  Bandita Sijapati

Pages

Two boys pose in an informal settlement east of Johannesburg largely populated by immigrants.
Profile
November 18, 2021
South Africa Reckons with Its Status as a Top Immigration Destination, Apartheid History, and Economic Challenges

South Africa hosts the most immigrants of any African country. Yet it faces conflicting pressures, including the legacy of apartheid, a steady outflow of well-educated South Africans, and the need to juggle bilateral labor mobility schemes at a time of economic insecurity and high unemployment. This article traces these pressures and how they have developed over time.

Scaffolding surrounds a mosque in Iran.
Feature
April 22, 2021
Iran Loses Highly Educated and Skilled Citizens during Long-Running “Brain Drain”

Large numbers of well-educated Iranians have left their country of birth since its 1979 revolution, in a “brain drain” that has held back Iran’s economy and cultural institutions. Iran’s isolation from the world has worsened in recent years, and a stuttering economy, currency freefall, and widespread impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have contributed to the underlying factors encouraging emigration, as this article examines.

thailand flooding climate migration
Feature
December 3, 2020
Building Climate Resilience through Migration in Thailand

Migration can help build resilience against the encroaching effects of climate change. Instead of being passive victims of environmental degradation, individuals sometimes move to gain money, knowledge, and skills that can fortify their household of origin. Migrant workers from Thailand demonstrate how and under what conditions this process works.

The National Museum of History in Tirana, Albania features a large mosaic with nationalist imagery.
Feature
August 25, 2020
Southeastern Europe Looks to Engage its Diaspora to Offset the Impact of Depopulation

Southeastern Europe is experiencing one of the sharpest depopulations in the world, with countries such as Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia on pace to see their populations shrink by at least 15 percent in coming decades. To counter this trend, governments in the region, NGOs, and the private sector are increasingly, if unevenly, tapping into large diaspora communities to spur economic growth and strengthen cultural ties.

Grape pickers in France
Feature
May 1, 2020
Under Lockdown Amid COVID-19 Pandemic, Europe Feels the Pinch from Slowed Intra-EU Labor Mobility

Border closures and lockdowns amid the COVID-19 pandemic have put a chill on intra-EU labor mobility, most immediately with the difficulty for European farmers to gain access to much-needed seasonal workers and for health-care institutions to get care workers. This article explores how these workers, who often face difficult situations, may be more vulnerable now. It also takes on implications for intra-EU labor mobility post-pandemic.

Pages

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Recent Activity

Policy Briefs
July 2021

Deepening Labor Migration Governance at a Time of Immobility: Lessons from Ghana and Senegal

The pandemic has dramatically curtailed labor migration opportunities in West Africa, as it has around the world. What does this mean for countries such as Ghana and Senegal that have been working to improve their governance of international labor migration? This brief explores the evolution of these countries’ migration policies, efforts to facilitate labor migration, and strategies to engage their diasporas.

Articles
April 22, 2021

Iran Loses Highly Educated and Skilled Citizens during Long-Running “Brain Drain”

Large numbers of well-educated Iranians have left their country of birth since its 1979 revolution, in a “brain drain” that has held back Iran’s economy and cultural institutions. Iran’s isolation from the world has worsened in recent years, and a stuttering economy, currency freefall, and widespread impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have contributed to the underlying factors encouraging emigration, as this article examines.

Expert Q&A, Audio
April 2, 2021

The Benefits of Climate Migration

Popular discussions usually frame climate change-induced migration negatively, often as a strategy of last resort. But migrating abroad can also be an effective way to build resilience against the impacts of climate change. This episode of our Changing Climate, Changing Migration podcast discusses how migration can bring social, economic, and other benefits to migrants and their communities, in conversation with University of Vienna human geographer Harald Sterly.

Articles
December 3, 2020

Building Climate Resilience through Migration in Thailand

Migration can help build resilience against the encroaching effects of climate change. Instead of being passive victims of environmental degradation, individuals sometimes move to gain money, knowledge, and skills that can fortify their household of origin. Migrant workers from Thailand demonstrate how and under what conditions this process works.

Articles
August 25, 2020

Southeastern Europe Looks to Engage its Diaspora to Offset the Impact of Depopulation

Southeastern Europe is experiencing one of the sharpest depopulations in the world, with countries such as Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia on pace to see their populations shrink by at least 15 percent in coming decades. To counter this trend, governments in the region, NGOs, and the private sector are increasingly, if unevenly, tapping into large diaspora communities to spur economic growth and strengthen cultural ties.

Articles
May 1, 2020

Under Lockdown Amid COVID-19 Pandemic, Europe Feels the Pinch from Slowed Intra-EU Labor Mobility

Border closures and lockdowns amid the COVID-19 pandemic have put a chill on intra-EU labor mobility, most immediately with the difficulty for European farmers to gain access to much-needed seasonal workers and for health-care institutions to get care workers. This article explores how these workers, who often face difficult situations, may be more vulnerable now. It also takes on implications for intra-EU labor mobility post-pandemic.

Articles
April 2, 2020

Africa Deepens its Approach to Migration Governance, But Are Policies Translating to Action?

While migration once was a lower-priority topic for African governments, the last decade has seen a deepening in governance. Policymakers have integrated migration into their national development strategies and mainstreamed it across policy domains such as health and education. The actions are promising on paper, yet questions remain about the extent to which they will translate to more effective migration management.

Articles
January 23, 2020

Global Demand for Medical Professionals Drives Indians Abroad Despite Acute Domestic Health-Care Worker Shortages

India is the world's largest source for immigrant physicians, and for Indian-trained doctors and nurses the allure of working abroad is strong despite an acute domestic shortage of health-care workers. Against this pull, the Indian government has enacted a number of policies to limit and regulate the emigration of health-care professionals, though these have been more ad hoc in nature and not part of a fully realized strategy.

Pages