Brain mobility

Preamble

ESIB – The National Unions of Students in Europe has existed since 1982 to promote the
educational, social, economic and cultural interests of students at the European level, and
towards all revelant organisations and instituions. ESIB currently has 50 member
organisations from 37 countries.

Introduction

The phenomenon of brain mobility is one which first started out as a natural consequence
of the physical movement of people, for a number of personal, historical, geographical,
political and social reasons. Opportunities for the mobility of persons have consistently
increased, in such a way that we now evidence a more elaborate concept of brain
mobility. Nowadays, brain mobility also occurs due to deliberate efforts by relevant
authorities, in their attempt to create and shape areas of knowledge, or otherwise. Brain
mobility in turn results in either brain gain or brain drain, and in this respect inevitably has
an impact on higher education. Stakeholders in higher education are contributing to this
discussion and formulating policy in this area, addressing this issue in such a way that, in
many cases, seeks to enhance brain mobility.

Students are to address the phenomenon of brain mobility on many levels, ranging from
brain mobility between different localities or regions to different countries and regions of
the world.

So far, ESIB has promoted the positive implications of student mobility. This statement
goes a step further, addressing the issue of brain mobility between regions, countries and
continents in terms of skilled individuals, and the negative and positive implications
thereof.

Definition

The term ‘brain mobility’ refers to the movement of skilled individuals, these being persons
who carry knowledge. Brain mobility implies an increase or decrease in the number of
these persons. The former is referred to as ‘brain gain’, and the latter as ‘brain drain’.
Brain mobility does not refer to the mobility of people in general, but to the mobility of
those people who are skilled individuals, as defined below.

Policies and discussions on brain mobility are mostly treated with respect to three types of
skilled individuals, these being students, researchers and skilled labourers. It is important
to note that this is not to the exclusion of other individuals, since it is not possible to
identify an exhaustive list of ‘skilled individuals.’ These three types of individuals are
however seen as being central to the issue of brain mobility.

 
Students

ESIB stresses the importance of mobility as a key element in the process of
internationalisation of higher education and vocational training and recognises the
positive consequences of such mobility, from all aspects, ranging from individual to
international aspects.

The mobility of students is the most basic exercise of brain mobility in the sense that
it provides a non-local perspective to one’s knowledge during the very process in
which such knowledge is being acquired.

On the other hand, mobility of this sort can be a major contributory factor to the
gain or loss of skilled individuals, particularly where such individuals choose to
remain resident in the area or country where they have taken up their studies or
vocational training.

 
Researchers

Mobility for the purpose of research is an even greater contributory factor to brain
mobility. This is because research results, being the knowledge acquired through
such research, are kept by envisaged beneficiaries. Where the beneficiaries thereof
are concentrated in a particular area, this is an explicit exercise of brain gain. This
has a negative effect on other areas, in particular the areas from which researchers
originate, and from where knowledge can be said to have been lost.

 
Skilled Labourers

The mobility of skilled labourers has an immediate effect, translating itself into brain
gain for those areas in which there evolves a concentration of skilled labourers, and
conversely brain drain in those areas from where migration of skilled labourers takes
place.

Reasons for Brain Mobility

The reasons for which skilled individuals are mobile can be many. Individual choices can
be made freely. Personal incentives for mobility range from curiosity, to professional and
academic fulfilment, the mobility of credentials, family strategies and personal reasons.

From a societal perspective, different so-called push and pull factors that increase brain
mobility can be identified. Push factors may include, among others, the lack of freedom of
research, the lack of a good welfare system, a polarised society or a low capacity in higher
education or the labour market. Pull factors may include, among others, well-funded
scholarships for academics, good career opportunities, a stable society or a high level of
freedom of research. Both of these factors can lead to situations where brain mobility is
enforced. ESIB stresses that efforts should take place in order to reduce forced mobility,
and criticises regions which try to take advantage of such situations in order to attain a
high level of brain gain.

From a political perspective several international processes can be identified that influence
the direction and extent of brain mobility. Among others, the Lisbon objectives and the
General Agreement of Trade in Services might create push and pull factors and therefore
need further intensive observation.

The Effects of Brain Mobility

In general, the mobility of skilled individuals is negative where it results in the loss of a
number of skilled individuals from a particular area. Brain mobility, however, is a
phenomenon that has both positive and negative effects.

The loss of a large number of skilled individuals has negative effects in terms of desired
qualitative and sustainable development of education, particularly where there is the loss
of teaching staff or researchers from particular areas.

Brain mobility is negative where it implies a loss in intellectual contribution to society,
particularly in terms of democratic and nation-building efforts and the attainment of
development goals. Conversely, in intellectual terms, short-term mobility of skilled
individuals can be said to be beneficial to one’s place of origin. This occurs particularly
where the purpose of such mobility is to contribute, in a better-informed manner, to
higher education, or to society in general.

Brain mobility further implies a loss in the economic contribution that skilled individuals are
able to make to the social or taxation systems of their place of origin. Conversely, brain
mobility could imply an improvement in economic terms, not only with respect to the place
to which skilled individuals choose to emigrate, but also with respect to one’s place of
origin. The latter occurs particularly where financial gain made from one’s activity in
another place is used for certain purposes in one’s country of origin, such as the
maintenance of relatives, investment or entrepreneurship.

Brain mobility is particularly harmful in cases where a public investment has been made in
higher education, and such investment is then lost due to the migration of graduates from
their place of origin. Furthermore, brain mobility is also negative where there is the
migration of a particular sector of society, whether this is a broad sector, such as the
migration of a large number of youths, or a more restricted one, such as the migration of
academics, professionals or skilled labourers from particular fields.

General Principles in Dealing with Brain Mobility

Brain mobility is not to be treated only from the aspect of brain gain and efforts should be
made in order to reduce the negative effects of brain mobility. In this respect, the
responsibility does not only lie with national governments, in the formulation of policies on
brain mobility and in their attitude towards this phenomenon, but also with national and
international stakeholders in terms of higher education and societal development.

 
Balanced Mobility

ESIB stresses the importance of balanced mobility, both in terms of movement, and
in terms of the fields of study, research or labour affected by such mobility.

 
Intellectual vs. Economic Considerations

In most cases, knowledge is measured in economic terms, and brain mobility
inevitably comes to be considered in such context. ESIB believes in the importance
of treating people in terms of their intellectual capacity and contribution, rather than
in terms of their economic potential, attainment or contribution.

ESIB opposes policies which aim to reduce social and salary conditions for skilled
individuals to such a low level that potential domestic candidates come to be
replaced by individuals from less-developed regions who would be prepared to work
under domestically unacceptable conditions.

Furthermore, it is important to stress that brain gain which is driven strictly in
economic terms implies a very selfish exercise of brain mobility and is potentially
detrimental to the political and economic future of the actor exercising such brain
gain.

 
Brain waste

There are obvious negative implications in brain waste which occurs due to forced
mobility, meaning that skilled individuals are forced to take up employment, outside
their country of origin, which requires lower qualifications than they actually have.
This can also arise due to lack of recognition of qualifications. ESIB believes that
efforts should be undertaken to seek the prevention of brain waste.

 
Knowledge Sharing

ESIB encourages the sharing of knowledge between different higher education
institutions, countries and regions.

In this respect, ESIB encourages the maintenance of links with migrants and the
drawing up of bilateral or multilateral agreements providing for brain mobility, in
order to treat the issue in a more relevant and specific manner;

 
Capacity Building

ESIB believes in the importance of encouraging and helping with capacity building in
higher education and the labour market. It should be noted that it is only a
combination of the two that can reduce the negative effects of brain mobility. This
should especially aim at countries or regions which are low on knowledge resources
and which have a low capacity to attract skilled individuals.

In this respect, ESIB stresses the importance of being sensitive to the situation of
such countries or regions, so as not to cause any further damage. ESIB strongly
opposes the use of an unfavourable situation as an excuse to attract skilled
individuals, under the guise of providing help to such disadvantaged countries or
regions.

 
Research

ESIB stresses the importance of qualitative research, and discourages the upsetting
of such research for the purpose of attaining economic aims. ESIB further stresses
that research organisations, be these higher education institutions, foundations,
research centres, laboratories, private firms, international organisations or nongovernmental
organisations, have a duty to uphold the intrinsic values of research,
and to avoid the sole aim of brain gain.

Furthermore, ESIB encourages beneficiaries of cross-border research to be more
sensitive towards the threat of brain drain to the researchers’ place of origin. This
can be done, for instance, by the drawing up of agreements or cooperation projects,
in order to share research results, or to distribute the financial gain generated
through the publication and use of such results.

 
Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

With the increased importance and efficiency of ICT, ESIB encourages that the
mobility of knowledge, whether wholly or partly, be made possible by electronic
means, so that the presence of skilled individuals is not necessarily a prerequisite for
the portability of knowledge.

 
Rights, Access and Residence

ESIB strongly opposes the exploitation of migrants and the corruption of the aims of
their activity outside their place of origin, be it to study, carry out research, work, or
otherwise.

ESIB stresses the necessity of the observance of the rights and freedoms of such
migrants.

ESIB believes that conditions for access or residence should be flexible, and that
restrictive residency rights should not be imposed under the guise of receivers’
supposed concern for brain drain from the migrants’ place of origin.

ESIB stresses upon the importance of non-discrimination between what are
considered to be ‘unskilled,’ as opposed to ‘skilled,’ migrants.

ESIB also stresses that the marketing of study programmes, research and labour for
migrants is to be genuine. In this respect, the priority should be an investment in
the improvement of the conditions for such migrants, and the quality of
programmes, research or labour, rather than in the marketing thereof.

ESIB further stresses the importance of transparency of mobility procedures, and of
putting into place mechanisms whereby the receivers of migrants for a specific
purpose report back on the activity carried out by such migrants.

Furthermore, ESIB encourages the possibility of further opportunities for mobility
from the receiving area, in order to enhance the relevance of migrants’ activities, as
well as personal fulfilment.

 
Reintegration

ESIB stresses the importance of a good policy for the reintegration of skilled
migrants, following a term of migration. Particularly from the perspective of the
receiver of skilled migrants, ESIB stresses the importance that such reintegration not
be driven by the sole motivation that the assigned activity of such skilled individuals
was completed, but by the genuine concern of the threat of brain drain to such
individuals’ place of origin.

Europe and Brain Mobility

With the development and implementation of the Bologna Process, ESIB believes in the
importance of the openness of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). ESIB stresses
that it is undesirable for the EHEA to become an exclusive area of higher education, to
which access becomes limited due to heavy conditions or restrictions.

ESIB encourages countries within the EHEA to foster an unselfish attitude towards brain
mobility. It is important for such countries to divert their focus from a strictly national or
European perspective, to a more constructive attitude of balanced mobility in a global
context.

With the creation of the Lisbon Objectives and the European Research Area (ERA), the
European Union (EU) set itself a number of qualitative as well as quantitative tasks, to be
achieved by 2010. ESIB encourages Community efforts, and EU member States to focus
on social coherence and sustainability, rather than brain gain, in order to fulfil these goals.

ESIB encourages European countries to assess the implications of interaction and
cooperation between EU and non-EU member states, in terms of brain mobility, and to
address the above-mentioned issues and considerations when doing so. This is an
absolute necessity in terms of development aid.

ESIB stresses the importance of a continued commitment to higher education. ESIB
believes that the main priority should always be the development of higher education, in a
qualitative, social and sustainable manner and opposes the use of brain mobility as a
substitute thereto.