Article: The policy challenge of the global brain drain: addressing the dilemmas of contributing push-pull factors Journal: International Journal of Public Policy (IJPP) 2015 Vol.11 No.1/2/3 pp.73 - 85 Abstract: Recently, there has been an acceleration of the global 'brain drain' from developing to developed countries. The emergence of the global economy has been a key cause of many societies losing overseas some of their most talented and educated (i.e., highly-qualified) people. Local social and political as well as economic conditions have also made it attractive to work overseas. A combination of brain drain push-pull factors would need to be a policy focus of any government wishing to try and reverse the brain drain from their country. The paper will discuss the key push-pull factors and related dilemmas that might need to be addressed by any proposed government policies seeking to reverse the brain drain. In terms of a literature review linked to a discussion of examples, this paper thus attempts to answer three key related questions: what other factors as well as economic interest motivates talented people to leave their countries? What policies might governments in developing countries adopt to try to resist and even reverse the global brain drain? To what extent can an increasingly global circulation of 'talent' be reconciled with local, national and regional interests of brain drain vs. gain? Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: The policy challenge of the global brain drain: addressing the dilemmas of contributing push-pull factors

Authors: Iraj Roudgar; Cameron Richards

Addresses: Perdana School Science, Technology, Innovation Policy, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Jalan Semarak, 54100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia ' Perdana School Science, Technology, Innovation Policy, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Jalan Semarak, 54100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Abstract: Recently, there has been an acceleration of the global 'brain drain' from developing to developed countries. The emergence of the global economy has been a key cause of many societies losing overseas some of their most talented and educated (i.e., highly-qualified) people. Local social and political as well as economic conditions have also made it attractive to work overseas. A combination of brain drain push-pull factors would need to be a policy focus of any government wishing to try and reverse the brain drain from their country. The paper will discuss the key push-pull factors and related dilemmas that might need to be addressed by any proposed government policies seeking to reverse the brain drain. In terms of a literature review linked to a discussion of examples, this paper thus attempts to answer three key related questions: what other factors as well as economic interest motivates talented people to leave their countries? What policies might governments in developing countries adopt to try to resist and even reverse the global brain drain? To what extent can an increasingly global circulation of 'talent' be reconciled with local, national and regional interests of brain drain vs. gain?

Keywords: global brain drain; highly qualified professionals; policy studies; push-pull factors; brain drain reversal; highly qualified people; government policy; motivation; developing countries.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPP.2015.068841

International Journal of Public Policy, 2015 Vol.11 No.1/2/3, pp.73 - 85

Accepted: 04 Apr 2014
Published online: 15 Apr 2015 *

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Title: The policy challenge of the global brain drain: addressing the dilemmas of contributing push-pull factors

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