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Brain Drain Essay

  • 100 Words Essay On Brain Drain

The term ‘Brain Drain’ is often used to refer to the emigration of highly educated or skilled individuals from one country to another. The loss of these individuals can have negative effects on the native country, including a shortage of qualified workers and deterioration of the quality of education and research. Brain drain can also lead to a brain gain for the receiving country, as it gains access to a larger pool of skilled workers. The most common reason for brain drain is the quest for better opportunities. Workers may leave their home countries in search of higher wages, better working conditions, or more prestigious positions.

200 Words Essay On Brain Drain

500 words essay on brain drain.

Brain Drain Essay

Brain drain is a problem that has been plaguing developing countries for years. It occurs when skilled and educated workers leave their home countries to seek better opportunities elsewhere. This often happens because these workers are not able to find good jobs at home, or because they are lured by higher salaries and better working conditions abroad. The problem of brain drain has been rapidly increasing in India, where many skilled workers have left to work in developed countries. This has had a devastating effect on the continent, as it has deprived India of the human resources it needs to develop its economy.

The loss of skilled workers can have serious consequences for a country's economy. When brain drain occurs, it can lead to shortages of qualified workers and a lack of innovation and creativity. This can ultimately hinder a country's ability to compete on the global stage. There are a number of ways to solve the problem of brain drain. One way is to provide better opportunities and jobs for skilled workers in India. Another way is to encourage the Indian diaspora to return home and share their skills and expertise with the people of their home countries and take part in the country’s holistic development.

There are many factors responsible for brain drain, but some of the most common include a lack of opportunities, poor working conditions, and low pay. When talented people are forced to leave their home countries in search of better opportunities elsewhere, it can have a detrimental effect on the country they leave behind. Not only does it deprive the country of their skills and knowledge, but it can also create a brain drain effect, where the best and brightest leave in search of greener pastures, leaving behind a less-qualified workforce.

Factors Responsible For Brain Drain

There are many factors causing brain drain. One of the most common is a lack of opportunity in the home country. When people feel they can not find good jobs or advance their careers in their own countries, they often look elsewhere.

Other factors include political instability, violence, and poverty. In some cases, people may leave their countries because they do not feel safe living there. Additionally, many people who are highly educated and skilled may choose to leave because they can earn more money elsewhere.

Brain drain can also occur when there is a mismatch between the skills required for available jobs and the skills of the workforce. This often happens in developing countries where jobs are growing faster than the education system can keep up with. As a result, many qualified workers leave to find better opportunities elsewhere.

Brain drain can also be caused by political or economic instability in a worker's home country. If a country is undergoing civil unrest or economic turmoil, its citizens may choose to leave in search of stability elsewhere.

Some workers may also leave their home countries in order to escape discrimination or persecution based on factors such as race, religion, or sexual orientation.

Effects Of Brain Drain

When a country experiences brain drain, it is losing its best and brightest minds to other countries. This can have a number of negative effects on the country.

For one, brain drain can lead to a shortage of skilled workers in the country. This can make it difficult for businesses to find the talent they need to grow and prosper. Additionally, brain drain can make it difficult for the country to attract foreign investment.

Furthermore, brain drain can lead to a loss of social and cultural capital. When the best and brightest leave the country, they take with them their skills, knowledge, and experience. This can leave the country at a disadvantage compared to other nations.

Finally, brain drain can have political consequences. The departure of skilled workers can leave the country short-staffed in critical areas such as healthcare and education. Additionally, brain drain can lead to a loss of tax revenue for the government as skilled workers are often among the highest earners in society.

How To Combat Brain Drain | There are many ways to combat brain drain, but some of the most effective include investing in education and training, creating more opportunities for advancement, and providing better working conditions and compensation. By retaining its best and brightest citizens, a country can ensure that its workforce is qualified and able to meet the demands of the ever-changing global economy.

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  • Brain Drain Essay

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Essay on Brain Drain

Brain Drain is defined as the emigration or migration of individuals of talents and skills from developing or under-developed countries to developed ones. It means impoverishment of intellectuals, professionals, and technical resources of one country and enriching another. It is also known as the mass departure of skillful resources from a country. It brings a potential economic decline to the nation. Brain Drain subjects to a vital threat before a country. This migration results in a great loss to the countries where they are born and educated. Higher education is one of the important reasons for permanent emigration.

We, at Vedantu, have provided the students with an essay on brain drain with two perspectives in mind. The first one is the concept of making the students understand what is brain drain and next, to make them develop their essay writing skills which are useful in several ways including the need to write essays for improving their writing skills, for making good answers in the exams, to help the students prepare better result for themselves by going through this process.

The term ‘Brain Drain’ was first used by the United Kingdom in 1960 when the skilled workforce started emigrating from the developing or under-developed countries to the developed countries (first world countries). It refers to the situation when highly qualified and trained people leave his/her own country to permanently settle down in other developed countries.  It is also known as human capital flight. With the beginning of globalization, ideas, opinions, skills in the form of labor started being exchanged between the nations. 

This concept of Brain Drain is a matter of serious concern for any nation because it takes off individuals from their homeland to another foreign land. Often people go abroad to pursue higher education and settle there because of better work and attractive pay packages. Talented, skilled, and experienced professionals migrate to other countries for better career prospects. They get attracted by better standards of living and quality of life, higher salaries, access to advanced technology, and more stable political conditions in the developed countries which lead to migration from less developed countries. 

The factors for the rise of Brain Drain are also called Push and Pull factors. The Push factors are the factors connected to the country of origin and Pull factors are the factors connected with the country of destination. 

Push Factors:

The basic facility is not congenial for research and education in the institutions.

Under-employment for thousands of engineering graduates, scientific and technical manpower waiting for respective assignments. 

Political instability.

Poor quality of living.

Limited access to health care facilities.

Less economic opportunity.

Pull Factors:

Better Economic prospects.

Better Research facilities.

Employment Opportunities.

Relative Political Stability.

Modern Education System and a better chance of advancement.

There are Three Types of Brain Drain

Geographical Brain Drain: This refers to the emigration of highly skilled professionals to other developing countries in search of better-paying jobs. It creates a negative impact on the economic development of the homeland. 

Organizational Brain Drain: This refers to the departure of experienced and talented individuals from one organization to another. This exodus can be very harmful to organizations. 

Industrial Brain Drain: This refers to the movement of skilled and trained workers from one industry to another for a better salary. This causes a shortage of experienced workers in the industry from where they depart.

Overall, Brain Drain is a widespread phenomenon these days. Many developing and under-developed countries are suffering from the loss of talents and skilled professionals like India, Africa, and Arab countries. The governments and private firms should take some strict measures to control this by aiming towards a better and friendlier atmosphere. They should provide better working conditions, improve infrastructure in educational institutions, create more employment opportunities, increase salaries and develop rural places.  Making laws and strictly implementing them should check discrimination and bias at workplaces. Incentives should be given to youngsters from going abroad in search of work. These action plans can solve the problem of Brain Drain.

10 facts on Brain Drain Essay

The Brain Drain is the migration of talented geniuses from their homeland to other countries in search of a better life and jobs.

It occurs when people go out and settle abroad for their jobs or for making careers.

People often go abroad for their higher studies and after having finished their studies, they settle over there and do not return to their homeland which also causes brain drain.

It is of vital concern especially for developing countries like India, where it can have negative effects.

Countries like India keep losing citizens who have the potential and talent to change the economic conditions of the country.

However, Brain Drain is a call for hope for the countries to which the people migrate for their jobs or studies.

The countries which receive the migrating people from the other countries benefit a lot from them.

The problem of brain drain can be easily solved by providing better working conditions, good pay, and other facilities in the home country to the people.

Political disturbances are amongst one the other causes of brain drain.

Brain Drain also occurs in some countries as a result of poor living conditions for the people which pushes them to migrate to other countries.

Study the different points related to brain drain and compile a good essay on this topic. Learn more about this topic and seek assistance from Vedantu to get the best words on paper. Score well by brilliantly scribing this essay in exams and competitions.

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FAQs on Brain Drain Essay

1.  What is Brain Drain?

Brain Drain is the mass departure of talented and skilled individuals from a developing or under-developed country to a developing country. The Brain drain in simple words is defined as the migration of personnel in search of a better standard of living, quality of life, higher salaries, access to advanced technology, and more stable political conditions in the different places of the world. It is a condition which is fairly not good for the developing countries as they tend to suffer a major loss due to this.

2. What are Push Factors?

Push Factors are factors that are associated with the country of origin. The push factors are factors that motivate a person to migrate from their country or the region of living to another country in search of better jobs and living. The push factors are often used in a negative connotation, as they often consist of problems, distressing situations, and political or economic failures, depicting the poor conditions of the country. Also, this is a situation of loss for the country. 

3. What is Organizational Brain Drain?

Organizational Brain Drain refers to the departure of experienced and talented individuals from one organization to another. This is similar to the original concept of brain drain. The concept involves the shift of employees from one organization to the other due to various reasons which include the movement due to organizational issues like poor working conditions, low pays, unhealthy work environment, etc. due to which the organization faces a challenge in many ways like the building of poor reputation within the industry and the like. 

4. How to Prevent Brain Drain?

There are a lot of ways in which both the companies and countries can stop the problem of brain dragon some of which include the following:

To prevent the problem of Brain Drain, the governments of developing and under-developed countries should take stern measures of providing better working conditions to the employees in the form of infrastructure, health, travel, and other such measures. 

The government must try to create more employment opportunities in the country itself so the people do not need to move by bringing in projects, developments, etc.

The government must try stopping discrimination with the people in all forms be it in terms of discrimination on the basis of age, gender, culture, religion, and others and any bias among employees. 

The government must also work on the development of rural places to generate employment opportunities in the rural areas of the country.

5. Where can I get an Essay on Brain Drain?

The students can easily get essays on brain drain from the website of Vedantu for free of cost. The students will also have the access to many more new concepts which will help them in understanding better the different topics that persist. Vedantu also helps the students by providing them with other study material and resources like sample papers, previous year’s question papers, and other important resources that will help them in preparing for the exam and writing better answers.

Essay on Brain Drain

Brain drain refers to the movement of highly skilled and educated people from one country to another, where they can work in better conditions and earn more money. People migrate due to the lack of opportunities in their home country. The brain drain reduces economic growth through the depletion of a source country’s human capital assets and, additionally, through loss of return on investment in education. It’s a serious problem that most developing countries like India are facing today. The essay on brain drain will help students to understand the reason behind brain drain and how this problem can be solved. Students can also check out the list of CBSE Essays to practise more essays on different topics and boost their essay writing skills.

500+ Words Essay on Brain Drain

The term “brain drain” refers to the international transfer of human capital resources, and it applies mainly to the migration of highly educated individuals from developing to developed countries. The term is generally used in a narrower sense. It relates more specifically to the migration of engineers, physicians, scientists, and other highly skilled professionals with university training, to developed countries. The brain drain is a serious constraint on the development of poor countries.

Reasons for Brain Drain in India

The major reason behind the brain drain is the lack of career opportunities, investment and lower salaries in home countries. The highly skilled people do not get proper exposure where they can showcase their skills. They don’t get the opportunity to grow higher. This happens because, in many private and government organisations, the managers sitting in higher positions give preference to their relatives and known people. Many times, the hiring team does not use the correct assessment process to recruit people. Moreover, the reservation and reserved quota in government jobs are the major reasons why youth lose interest in appearing in various competitive or government exams.

Brain drain also occurs when an employee loses interest in work. If he continues to do the same task for 5 to 6 years, he becomes saturated with work. He wants some new role and responsibility that excite him and challenges him to do the work. The change in work also sharpens their skills and significantly increases their income. The work culture and environment also play a major role in brain drain. If the work culture is not flexible and reliable, then people start thinking of leaving the organisation and moving to another. Many times office politics, blame games, overwork, no appreciation, and no rewards also compel a person to look for a better opportunity where his skills will be appreciated.

India has skilled and semi-skilled, employed and unemployed human resources. Low salaries and inefficient working conditions trigger the movement of people to countries with better living standards and facilities. There is a huge difference in terms of salary in developed, developing and underdeveloped countries. Most of the students who go abroad for higher studies do not return to India. After seeing the affluent life of foreign countries, they lose all interest in their own country. They get placed in good companies and start living a high-profile life.

How to Stop Brain Drain?

Talent in emerging economies is scarce, expensive, and hard to retain. But, for the balance of power and for the development of the world, it is very important to stop the phenomena of brain drain. This will help a particular country to use all local skilled citizens for development and proliferation. But to hold these skilled workers at their native places, it is also important to provide them with enough work opportunities and living facilities. For this purpose, developed nations should help developing countries with the necessary money and resources. So that each and every human on this planet can have a good standard of living and each and every nation can introduce itself as a developed nation.

Students must have found this essay on brain drain useful for improving their essay-writing skills. They can get the study material and the latest updates on CBSE/ICSE/State Board/Competitive Exams at BYJU’S.

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Brain Drain [Sample Essays and Vocabulary]

Posted by David S. Wills | Feb 27, 2023 | Model Essays | 2

Brain Drain [Sample Essays and Vocabulary]

For today’s English lesson, we are going to look at the topic of “brain drain.” This is a phenomenon that occurs when lots of talented people move from developing countries to developed ones. It is an interesting topic with many issues to debate, so it is possible that you could encounter it in the IELTS writing test.

What is “brain drain” and how could it appear in IELTS?

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, “brain drain” means:

the situation in which large numbers of educated and very skilled people leave their own country to live and work in another one where pay and conditions are better ( source )

This is quite a big issue nowadays and it affects many parts of the world positively and negatively. As the world becomes more interconnected, it seems reasonable that it will continue to be a problem in the future.

This sort of topic is most likely to occur in the IELTS writing test and specifically in task 2. In fact, I’ll show you two sample answers below. You might also see a reading passage about “brain drain” in the reading test and I suppose it is theoretically possible that it could be the subject of section 4 of the listening test.

However, I cannot imagine that you would realistically see questions about this in any part of the IELTS speaking test. It is slightly too specialised and talking about it is a little too difficult.

essay of brain drain

Language related to “brain drain”

When it comes to the topic of “brain drain,” you should think of this generally as being a sub-topic of work , education , and immigration . Note that IELTS topics often overlap like this.

As such, to talk about this, you should be comfortable with vocabulary related to these areas and specifically the points at which they intersect. Here are some examples:

  • advanced economy
  • developed country
  • developing country
  • emigration / emigrant
  • immigration / immigrant
  • permanent residency
  • standard of living
  • tertiary education
  • tuition fees

Make sure that you know more than just the loose meaning of each word or phrase. It is important that you know precisely how to use them.

Also, I have tried not to include more common words like “abroad” but obviously you should be familiar with them and confident about how to use them.

You can read more about common IELTS topics here .

How to think of ideas about “brain drain”

Sometimes, IELTS questions can be difficult not just because of the language required but because of the topic. While some people have strong opinions about brain drain, others don’t. They simply can’t think of anything to say or worry that their ideas aren’t very developed.

For this reason, it is useful not just to learn vocabulary in preparation for your IELTS test, but also to learn ideas. You can do that in different ways:

  • reading articles
  • listening to podcasts
  • watching videos or documentaries
  • engaging in debates

I recently saw this very interesting YouTube video, which goes into detail about why brain drain hurts some countries and why it keeps happening.

I have a whole article about how to generate ideas for IELTS .

Sample Essays

Ok, now let’s look at some sample questions and answers. These are quite similar but the types of question are different and so I have written different answers.

Brain Drain Essay: Problems and Solutions

Here is our first question:

An increasing number of professionals, such as doctors and teachers, are leaving their own poorer countries to work in developed countries. What problems does this cause? What can be done to deal with this situation?

As you can see, this is a problems and solutions question . That means you need to firstly explain the problems caused by brain drain and then suggest some solutions.

Sample Answer

In the modern era, it is common for people to move around the world for various reasons, including immigration purposes. This sometimes results in people leaving a poor country to go to a richer one, in a phenomenon that is sometimes known as “brain drain.” This essay will look into the reasons for this and also suggest some solutions.

The allure of wealthy countries is naturally going to appeal to many people from poorer nations. They look to these places and see opportunities for themselves and their families, as well as clean environments and high-quality homes and goods. It is natural, then, that these people will aspire to leave their own country and move to a more developed one in the hope of a better life. They study hard and take every possible chance to give themselves a brighter future, and once they are able to emigrate, they leave their home country and travel to their new home. This is usually a positive step for them, but it tends to trap poor countries in a cycle of poverty.

Solving this problem is clearly not easy because it is a pretty natural phenomenon and people will always want to give themselves a better life. However, if there was a way to encourage doctors and other professionals to stay in their home nation, they could help to build it into a much more prosperous society, ultimately resulting in generations of educated people with no real desire to leave. Another option is for that nation to attempt to attract doctors and teachers from other countries as a way of filling the knowledge gap. This would not be easy, but again if it were achieved it would result in a strengthened nation that would no longer encourage its citizens to leave.

In conclusion, it is a natural occurrence that people want to move to cleaner, more developed places with safer streets and better standards of living, which is why educated people flee from poor nations. However, solving this problem will not be easy and may require some creative action by various governments.

Notes on the Answer

I have a simple but effective structure here:

IntroductionExplain the main issue (brain drain) and then give essay outline.
Body paragraph #1Explain the causes (higher quality of life; more opportunities).
Body paragraph #2Suggest solutions (tempting people to stay; attracting people from abroad).
ConclusionSummarise main ideas.

In terms of language, I will note some useful phrases:

  • The allure of wealthy countries
  • see opportunities for themselves
  • high-quality homes and goods
  • take every possible chance
  • a brighter future
  • a cycle of poverty
  • a much more prosperous society
  • filling the knowledge gap
  • a natural occurrence

You will see that my solutions are not very definite but that’s because there are no easy solutions. Some students write things like “The government should pay doctors more money.” However, is this a realistic suggestion? If governments had unlimited money and could pay doctors more, they probably would. Therefore, use careful thinking and language skills to show reasonable ideas. Don’t worry about your suggestions being weakened by the admission that these ideas might not work. It is better to show that you are aware of this than to confidently make unreasonable suggestions.

Brain Drain Essay: Discuss Both Views

Here is our second question:

Some people believe that professionals, such as doctors and engineers, should be required to work in the country where they did their training. Others believe they should be free to work in another country if they wish. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

You can see that this is a “ discuss both views ” question, so it is a little different from the previous one. Also, I suppose it is technically possible that you could answer this without mentioning brain drain, but still the idea is clearly connected.

A small number of people think that highly trained professionals should be required to work in the same country where they did their training, but most people disagree with this. This essay will also disagree, suggesting that they should be free to work where they want.

To begin with, it is understandable that people might argue in favour of professionals working in the country where they trained because in some cases that country has paid for their training. Take, for example, a doctor who received medical training at the government’s expense in a relatively poor country. If they moved to another country, perhaps in order to earn a higher salary, then the government’s investment would have been wasted.

However, there are a few problems with that viewpoint. First of all, professionals of this nature usually pay for their own education, and so if they were required to stay in that country then it would be unfair. A lot of people invest in their education purely to gain the chance of moving to another country for a better life. Then, of course, there is the argument that all people should have some freedom of movement. Particularly in the case of highly trained professionals, who can bring value to different societies, it is beneficial to have them move around the world, sharing their skills and increasing diversity. Perhaps they ought to give something back to the society in which they were trained, but they should not be restricted by any law because that would be a violation of their fundamental rights.

In conclusion, people who have important skills should be free to move to other countries if they wish. They should not have a legal obligation to stay in the nation where they earned their skills, but perhaps for the sake of decency they might consider staying a short while and giving back to that society.

I have not used the phrase “brain drain” here but the essay is still about that because brain drain is what happens when these people leave their home countries in large numbers.

Note that I have discussed both views but sided with the “disagree” perspective. That means I have written a longer paragraph full of “disagree” ideas. I have also made my opinion clear throughout the whole essay, which is also essential. In the introduction , for example, my outline sentence puts my perspective across very clearly.

Here are some more useful words and phrases:

  • highly trained professionals
  • to earn a higher salary
  • the government’s investment
  • people invest in their education
  • freedom of movement
  • a violation of their fundamental rights
  • a legal obligation

Finally, note that in both these essays I avoided the trap of repeating the examples from the question. It is a common mistake that IELTS candidates see an example and assume it is the main idea of the question. In fact, you do not need to talk about doctors and engineers. You could talk about any professionals.

About The Author

David S. Wills

David S. Wills

David S. Wills is the author of Scientologist! William S. Burroughs and the 'Weird Cult' and the founder/editor of Beatdom literary journal. He lives and works in rural Cambodia and loves to travel. He has worked as an IELTS tutor since 2010, has completed both TEFL and CELTA courses, and has a certificate from Cambridge for Teaching Writing. David has worked in many different countries, and for several years designed a writing course for the University of Worcester. In 2018, he wrote the popular IELTS handbook, Grammar for IELTS Writing and he has since written two other books about IELTS. His other IELTS website is called IELTS Teaching.

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Lê Thị Ngọc

I have some questions related to IELTS Writing in general and your essays. 1. Have you tried using chatGPT for IELTS Writing? What do you think the quality of the essays it can create and how do IELTS learners use it to improve their writing? 2. In your essays + The first essay – You use near future tense ‘be going to do sth’ in the first sentence of the first body paragraph. Could you explain to me why you use this tense in this sentence? + The second essay – Actually, I see some dictionary mark ‘To begin with’ or ‘To begin’ as an informal phrase. Is it also proper when used in IELTS Writing? – In the second body paragraph, I see you use ‘increasing diversity’ which makes me confused. Could you explain what does this phrase exactly mean? Thank a lot

David S. Wills

1. I’ve tested it a few times. It’s fine but not perfect. I haven’t really looked into it as a means of learning to write essays. I know that other AI programmes are terrible at fixing grammar problems, but ChatGPT is a lot smarter, so it’s possible.

2. This is used to mean that something hypothetically does appeal to these people. I suppose it is a strange structure, but it’s quite common in English. It is like imagining a future state.

3. I don’t think “To begin with” is particularly informal.

4. It means that when people travel around, the diversity of the places they go to increases because they have more people from different places.

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Brain Drain: The Great Indian Migration

Last updated on October 26, 2023 by ClearIAS Team

brain drain

Table of Contents

What is Brain drain?

The brain drain is the migration of educated persons from one country to another.

Primary external brain drain occurs when human resources leave their country to go work overseas in developed countries such as Europe, North America, and Australia.

Secondary external brain drain occurs when human resources leave their country to go work elsewhere in the nearby region.

Internal brain drain occurs when human resources are not employed in the fields of their expertise in their own country or when human resources move from the public sector to the private sector or within a sector.

According to the recent information from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) , more than six lakh Indians renounced their citizenship in the past five years. In 2021, till September 30 around 1,11,287 Indians have given up their citizenships.

In the past two decades, there has been a continuous outflow of Indians, except during the 2008 financial crisis and in 2020-21 due to Covid-19 related travel bans.

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India has become a major exporter of healthcare workers to developed nations particularly to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Europe, and other English-speaking countries. As per OECD data, around 69,000 Indian-trained doctors worked in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia in 2017. In these four countries, 56,000 Indian-trained nurses were working in the same year. Hence, there is also large-scale migration of health workers from India.

Also read: Remote voting for migrants

Why are Indians emigrating?

Indian competence, linguistic prowess, and a higher level of education are a few of the attractions for countries, which have eased visa rules to attract talent. As the opportunities become scarcer here, the foreign countries are ever more aware of the multi-talented Indian engineers, doctors, and scientists with English language prowess as well.

The reasons for this brain drain can be substantiated into a few key categories-

Push factors for brain drain:

  • Lack of higher education opportunities: The increasing cut-offs and legion of competitive exams make access to higher education difficult in India. Abroad, they have an advantage over students from other countries in terms of skills and knowledge.
  • Lack of financial research support: India’s Gross domestic expenditure on research has stayed at 0.7% of the GDP for years. India has one of the lowest GERD/GDP ratios among the BRICS nations. So, the minds in R&D tend to migrate to other countries to continue their research.
  • Lower-income: Developed countries offer better pay to sectors like health, research, IT, etc. Income is one of the main triggers of emigration from India.
  • Non-recognition of talents: The chances of being recognized in one’s field are difficult in a populace this large and with conventions preferring the glamour world over academic talent; bright minds choose foreign countries where their work is appreciated more.

Pull factors for brain drain:

  • Better standard of living: The developed countries provide better living standards, salaries, tax benefits, etc, which becomes a great attraction for emigration.
  • Improved quality of life: It is unarguable that the facilities available abroad are yet to be matched with by developing countries, and hence till that level of life quality is achieved, migrations will continue.
  • Societal pressure: Indian youth are becoming more liberal and personal with their life, and the society here is yet to come to terms with the kind of lifestyle. Hence, the pressure to live a certain way among the Indian society is curbing the freedom of choice of today’s youths, encouraging them to seek western countries where the society is more liberal non-interfering.
  • Easy migration policies : The developed nations are easing migration policies to attract talents to boost their economy. They target Asians specifically to take up intellectual labour.
  • Better remuneration: The better pay and living standard offered by developing countries is, of course, a foremost reason for emigration.

Also read: Refugee Crisis in India; Labor migration

The effect of brain drain on the Indian health sector:

The emigration of health workers from India to GCC and western countries has been taking place for decades. And this is part of the reason for the shortage of nurses and doctors.

As per government reports, India has 1.7 nurses per 1,000 population and a doctor to patient ratio of 1:1,404 which is well below the WHO norm of three nurses per 1,000 population and a doctor to patient ratio of 1:1,100.

There are strong pull factors associated with the migration of healthcare workers, in terms of higher pay and better opportunities in the destination countries.

But the push factors are what often drive these workers to migrate abroad.

  • In the case of nurses in India, the low wages in private sectors, along with reduced opportunities in the public sector plays a big role in them seeking employment opportunities outside the country.
  • The lack of government investment in healthcare and delayed appointments to public health institutions act as a catalyst for such migration.

Developed countries were in desperate need of retaining their healthcare workers, so they adopted migrant-friendly policies during the beginning of the pandemic.

  • OECD countries exempted health professionals from a job offer from the travel bans.
  • Some countries processed visa applications of healthcare workers even during the lockdown period.
  • The UK has granted free one-year visa extensions to eligible overseas healthcare workers and their dependents whose visas were due to expire before October this year.
  • France has offered citizenship to frontline immigrant healthcare workers during the pandemic.

The Indian government’s policies to check brain drain do not provide long-term solutions, rather they are restrictive.

  • In 2014, they stopped issuing No Objection to Return to India (NORI)certificates to doctors migrating to the US.
  • The NORI certificate is a US government requirement for doctors who migrate to America on a J1 visa and seek to extend their stay beyond three years.
  • The government has included nurses in the Emigration Check Required (ECR) category. This move was taken to bring about transparency in nursing recruitment and reduce the exploitation of nurses in the destination countries.

The need of the hour is for increased investment in healthcare which has been evident throughout the pandemic. The 2020 Human Development Report shows that India has five hospital beds per 10,000 people which is one of the lowest in the world.

Increased investment in healthcare, especially in the public sector is essential as this would increase employment opportunities for health workers.

Related concepts: Brain Gain and Reverse Brain Drain

There are few positive outcomes of such emigrations too occasionally which can be summarised under Brain gain and Reverse brain drain theories.

Brain Gain:

  • The movement of skilled workers internationally represents brain gain for the countries that reap their skills.
  • The young population that goes abroad has a very limited skill set. They improve their skills abroad through higher education and job experience, so when they return, they bring back brainpower. Some label it as Brain Circulation also.
  • Then the internal migrations of the skilled and unskilled lot have resulted in the formation of major industrial / tech hubs.

Reverse Brain Drain:

  • When the professionals return to their home country after a few years of experience and open a business, join a research university, or work in an MNC in the home country, it is called “Reverse Brain Drain”.
  • Reverse brain drain occurs when human capital moves in reverse order from a more developed country to a less developed or rapidly developing country.
  • These migrants accumulate savings, also known as remittances, and develop skills abroad and use them in their home country.
  • India has a large diaspora scattered around the world. Indian skilled professionals who have been trained and based in other countries are returning home in increasing numbers to take advantage of the country’s positive economic growth and employment opportunities in the STEM field.
  • Returnees with good work experience and entrepreneurial skills are setting up successful start-ups with the added advantage of their global networks and links to international venture capitals.

Government’s stance on Brain drain

India does not offer dual citizenship hence people seeking citizenship in other countries must give up their Indian passport. However, Indians who renounce citizenship can still apply for an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card, which gives them the benefit of residing and even running a business in India.

The Indian government has a simple online process for citizenship renouncing, making it clear that they are much worried about the outflow of the talented population.

A reason for this is maybe the fact that the expatriates have become huge financial assets for India through remittances and investments. NRI remittances have been a major contributor to India’s forex receipts though motivated by personal gains.

Some schemes have been devised by the government to bring back Indian scientists like-

  • ‘The Ramanujan Fellowship, Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) Programme’ to encourage scientists and engineers of Indian origin from all over the world to take up scientific research positions in India, especially those scientists who want to return to India from abroad.
  • The Ramalingaswamy Fellowship , for providing a platform for scientists who are willing to return and work in India.
  • Vaishvik Bharatiya Vaigyanik (VAIBHAV) summit:  Under this, Numerous overseas Indian-origin academicians and Indians participated to form ideas on innovative solutions to several challenges.
  • Scheme for Transformational and Advanced Research in Sciences  (STARS),  Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration  (SPARC), and Impactful Policy Research in Social Science (IMPRESS) with the common objective to boost India-specific research in social and pure sciences.

Way forward

India needs systematic changes to build an overall environment that would be beneficial for the talented enough to motivate them to stay in the country.

The government should focus on framing policies that promote circular migration and return migration. Like policies that incentivize professionals to return home after the completion of their training or studies would be welcomed.

India could also hold talks to frame bilateral agreements for a policy of “brain-share” between the sending and receiving countries.

Potential Mains Questions:

  • “India’s brain drain is West’s brain gain.” Critically discuss why India’s scientists move to foreign countries and excel. Do you think brain drain is a thing of the past, especially in the field of science? Examine. (200 Words)
  • By emphasizing the key factors leading to brain drain in the health care sector deliberate the need for long-term solutions to manage human resources in the Indian health care sector. (250 words)

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Reader Interactions

essay of brain drain

February 16, 2022 at 11:34 am

In my opinion brain drain india is bad

essay of brain drain

November 15, 2022 at 10:08 pm

Atleast give information about migration of lawyer in brain drain. We lawyer are working really hard. Even our demand is there in foreign countries

essay of brain drain

January 3, 2024 at 10:04 am

According to me,Brain drain has to be stopped as it is not good for the development of our country.If skillful people don’t migrate then they can help in social and economic development of our nation and every country needs skilful people to do well in every field. so,I think Bharat needs to stop brain drain so that it can become “‘vishva guru'” soon.

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Brain Drain Essay | Essay on Brain Drain for Students and Children in English

February 14, 2024 by Prasanna

Brain Drain Essay:  Brain drain refers to the situation when highly qualified and trained people leave his/her otitn country to permanently settle down in some other country. It is also referred to as human capital flight. Brain drain is a global phenomenon that refers to flow of human resource in bulk from one country to another. With the beginning of globalisation, ideas, opinions, skills in the form of labour started being exchanged between nations. The term emerged in 1960’s when the skilled workforce started emigrating from the poor or developing countries to the first world countries (or developed countries) in search of better job opportunities. This is primarily due to the fact that developing countries like India have failed utterly in providing the right kind of opportunities to its youth.

You can read more  Essay Writing  about articles, events, people, sports, technology many more.

Long and Short Essays on Brain Drain for Kids and Students in English

Given below are two essays in English for students and children about the topic of ‘Brain Drain’ in both long and short form. The first essay is a long essay on Brain Drain of 400-500 words. This long essay about Brain Drain is suitable for students of class 7, 8, 9 and 10, and also for competitive exam aspirants. The second essay is a short essay on Brain Drain of 150-200 words. These are suitable for students and children in class 6 and below.

Long Essay on Brain Drain 500 Words in English

Below we have given a long essay on Brain Drain of 500 words is helpful for classes 7, 8, 9 and 10 and Competitive Exam Aspirants. This long essay on the topic is suitable for students of class 7 to class 10, and also for competitive exam aspirants.

This, in turn, is leading to a great loss of national wealth. In the past few decades, a lot of Indian professionals too migrated to other countries. The human capital in terms of skills, ideas, labour and intelligence is being transferred to countries abroad from India since ages. This has become a characteristic more of the intelligentsia of the nation the doctors, engineers, scientists, MBA’s, CA’s, lawyers and other professionals. Today, Indian constitutes majority of large organisations like NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration), California Laboratory etc. Additionally, studies show that Indians are one of the most hard working, dedicated and sincere workers. That is why various countries and companies readily take our nationals.

Countries like USA, UK, Germany, France, Russia, Italy, Japan etc., have developed greatly in their technology, science, electronics, computers, astronomy etc. Thus, these countries provide greater opportunities quality as well as quantity wise.

The facilities, packages, scholarships etc., provided by these nations are far better than what India can provide them. While this is the case of young students/professionals, the academically well qualified people prefer going abroad for a higher research because they don’t get the best chances, resources and facilities for research in India. The cut-offs for admissions have became close to 100% in the best Indian Institutes. While the institutes are in the race of getting the best students, the ambitious youth fail to occupy seat in any of the prestigious Indian Universities. This leads them to explore the scope of higher education abroad.

Most of these students prefer staying back in. the host country due to better work opportunities and heavy pay packages. A part from good earnings, those in the US and Europe are aware of the public services, social security system and retirement benefits. So, after getting global exposure and getting introduced to the high quality life and facilities, the students become reluctant to go back to the home country.

There are many Indians at top posts in global firms and companies like Sabeer Bhatia, founder of Hotmail email, Satya Nadella, now Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft, Indra Nooyi, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of PepsiCo. As many as 12% scientists and 38% doctors in the US are Indians, and in NASA, 36% or almost 4 out of 10 scientists are Indians. Awakening to this fact’, Indian Government is putting the best foot forward to curb brain drain. In lieu with consistent economic growth, India will see robust hiring and there is an expected double-digit salary increase across all sectors IT, manufacturing, finance, insurance and real estate.

Brain Drain Essay

Short Essay on Brain Drain 200 Words in English

Below we have given a short essay on Brain Drain is for Classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. This short essay on the topic is suitable for students of class 6 and below.

Both, government and private firms are aiming towards a better and friendlier atmosphere to create better conditions for their employees. Discrimination and bias at work places are checked by making laws and strictly implementing them. Incentives are given to stop youngsters from going abroad in search of work.

After witnessing a huge brain drain of doctors, the government was persuaded to take actions. Now, the medical students going abroad for higher studies will have to sign a bond with the government, promising to return to India after completing their studies. Policies to nurture higher education, better public service delivery and better sharing of data with the public (RTI) needs to be promoted to encourage a reverse brain drain. Moreover the government of the day needs to ensure good employment facilities for students by encouraging domestic and international investments in manufacturing, research and development. ‘Our IT professionals and IIM graduates are the best in the world. Countries welcome them with open arms. We can use the best potential of the country to accelerate our own progress in socio-economic fields. We need to give deserving jobs to students, who return to India after completing their education.

Brain Drain Essay Word Meanings for Simple Understanding

  • Intelligentsia – highly educated people as a group, especially when regarded as possessing culture and political influence
  • Prestigious – influential, esteemed
  • Robust – strong and effective in all or most situations and conditions
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Short Essay: Brain Drain

Brain drain, or the emigration of skilled and educated individuals from one country or region to another, typically for better pay or living conditions, is a multifaceted issue with significant implications for nations and their development. Writing a short essay on this topic requires a balanced exploration of its causes, effects, and possible mitigation strategies. Here’s a structured approach to help you draft a concise and informative essay on brain drain.

Table of Contents

Title and Introduction

Title:  Choose a clear and direct title that encapsulates the essence of your essay, such as “Navigating the Challenges of Brain Drain: Impacts and Solutions.”

Exploring the Causes

Political and Social Factors:  Examine how political instability, lack of freedom, or social tensions in a person’s home country contribute to brain drain. Issues such as discrimination, violence, or political persecution can force skilled individuals to seek environments where they feel safe and valued.

Effects of Brain Drain

Impact on the Host Country:  While brain drain is often beneficial for the host country (gaining skilled labor), it can also lead to over-saturation in certain fields, potentially increasing local unemployment or underemployment in the skilled sectors.

Solutions and Mitigation Strategies

Bilateral Agreements and International Cooperation:  Discuss how agreements between countries can facilitate more balanced exchanges of knowledge and skills, or how international laws and policies can be adapted to manage the flow of skilled workers more ethically.

Brain Drain Essay Example #1

Brain drain, the phenomenon of highly skilled professionals emigrating from developing nations to seek better prospects in developed countries, remains a significant challenge that exacerbates global inequality. This essay explores the underlying causes of brain drain, its impacts on both sending and receiving countries, and proposes viable strategies to mitigate its adverse effects.

Addressing brain drain effectively requires a strategic and multifaceted approach. Home countries should focus on improving economic conditions through better governance and fostering a vibrant business environment that encourages entrepreneurship and investment. For example, Estonia has successfully retained and attracted talent through initiatives like e-residency and startup grants. Additionally, improving political stability and providing competitive wages and benefits can help retain skilled workers.

Brain drain is a complex issue influenced by economic, political, and educational factors. While it presents significant challenges for developing countries, it also offers an opportunity to rethink global and local policies. By improving domestic conditions and engaging in international cooperation, countries can mitigate the negative impacts of brain drain and turn it into a phenomenon that benefits all, promoting a more balanced global development. Strategic solutions that address both the causes and effects of brain drain will ensure that the migration of talent becomes part of a larger cycle of global knowledge sharing and development.

Brain Drain Essay Example #2

The effects of brain drain are profoundly felt by the home countries. Economically, the departure of skilled workers leads to a loss of potential innovators, diminishing the intellectual capital necessary for development and competitiveness. Social impacts are also significant, particularly in the healthcare and education sectors, which suffer from a lack of qualified professionals. In contrast, host countries typically benefit from the influx of skilled labor, experiencing technological advances and economic growth. However, this can also lead to increased competition in the job market, potentially fueling local discontent and societal tensions.

Additionally, creating opportunities for expatriates to contribute to their home countries without requiring permanent returns can be effective. Programs that enable temporary teaching positions, remote consulting jobs, or investments in home-country enterprises allow expatriates to contribute to their country’s development from afar.

Brain drain is a complex issue, driven by economic, political, and educational factors. While it presents significant challenges for developing countries, it also provides an opportunity to rethink global and local policies. By improving domestic conditions and engaging in international cooperation, countries can mitigate the adverse effects of brain drain and transform it into a beneficial phenomenon that promotes balanced global development. Strategic solutions that address both the causes and effects of brain drain will ensure that the migration of talent becomes part of a larger cycle of global knowledge sharing and development.

Brain Drain Essay Example #3

Economic disparity is a prime motivator for brain drain. Skilled professionals in less developed countries often encounter limited job opportunities and lower compensation compared to developed countries. For example, a software engineer in Silicon Valley can earn substantially more than their counterpart in many parts of Asia or Africa. Moreover, political instability and restricted freedoms compel individuals to seek environments where safety and rights are more assured. Educational opportunities also draw young talent abroad, where many remain after completing their studies due to better job prospects.

International collaboration is vital for managing skilled migration in a way that benefits both origin and destination countries. Bilateral agreements can help by enabling temporary migration for education or work, with clear incentives for return, enriching the home country with new skills and experiences.

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What Is Brain Drain?

Understanding brain drain.

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Brain drain: definition, causes, effects, and examples.

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essay of brain drain

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Brain drain is a slang term that refers to a substantial  emigration or migration of individuals out of a country. It can result from turmoil, the existence of favorable professional opportunities in other countries, or a desire to seek a higher  standard of living . Brain drain can also occur at the organizational or industrial levels when workers perceive better pay, benefits, or upward mobility in another company or industry.

Key Takeaways

  • Brain drain is a slang term that refers to substantial emigration.
  • Brain drain can result from political turmoil or the existence of more favorable professional opportunities elsewhere.
  • It causes countries, industries, and organizations to lose a core portion of valuable individuals.
  • The loss of tax revenue can be a consequence of brain drain.
  • One of the best ways to reduce brain drain is to boost government investment in the local economy.

Brain drain is the movement of people from one area to another. It often occurs between countries and cities where there's a sharp discrepancy in available opportunities. Individuals might move to look for work or a better standard of living. Brain drain can also refer to the movement of professionals between corporations or industries for better pay or opportunities.

Brain drain causes countries, industries, and organizations to lose a core portion of valuable individuals. The term is often used to describe the departure of certain professionals, including doctors, healthcare workers, scientists, engineers, or financial professionals. The places they leave are harmed in two ways when these people leave :

  • Expertise is lost with each emigrant, diminishing the supply of that profession.
  • The economy is harmed because each professional represents surplus spending units.

Professionals often earn large salaries so their departure reduces  consumer spending  in that region or possibly in the country overall.

Geographic, Organizational, and Industrial Brain Drain

Brain drain can occur on several levels and in several forms.

Geographic Brain Drain

Geographic brain drain occurs when talented professionals flee one country or region and move to a country that they feel gives them better and more opportunities.

Several common causes can precipitate brain drain on the geographic level. They include political instability, poor quality of life , limited access to health care, and a shortage of economic opportunity. These factors prompt skilled and talented workers to leave source countries for places that offer better opportunities.

Organizational and Industrial Brain Drain

Organizational brain drain involves the mass exodus of talented workers from a company, often because they sense instability or a lack of opportunity within the company. They may feel that they can realize their career goals more easily at another firm.

Industrial brain drain happens when skilled workers exit not only a company but an entire industry .

These two forms of brain drain are usually a byproduct of a rapidly evolving economic landscape in which companies and industries that are unable to keep up with technological and societal changes lose their best workers to companies and industries that can.

Causes of Brain Drain

Several underlying factors can lead to this phenomenon. They can vary based on the type of brain drain that occurs. Some of the main reasons why people choose to leave their home countries/regions include:

  • Economic opportunities including new and better jobs, higher standards of living, access to housing and health care
  • Political strife and instability
  • Persecution based on religion, gender, or sexuality

Most brain drain is geographic but it can also occur as a result of situational factors. Skilled workers may leave companies and industries when machines and technology replace human labor.

Brain drain is also known as a human capital flight.

Effects of Brain Drain

The effects of brain drain are felt not only in the area where the brain drain occurs but also where brain gain occurs: the place to which individuals move. It can often have a chain reaction.

Areas affected by brain drain end up with a dearth of human capital . Professionals who go elsewhere end up leaving a large gap behind, one that isn't always easy to fill. Consider medical professionals in developing nations who move to parts of the developed world for better opportunities. There may not be enough qualified people to replace them when they leave. This affects the overall quality of health care.

Another effect on areas that experience brain drain is the loss of revenue . Governments rely on income taxes to fund their social programs and infrastructure projects. A mass exodus leads to a drop in tax receipts that can stunt economic growth and development.

Areas that see brain gain are also impacted. They can experience overcrowding, especially in major metropolitan areas where more opportunities are available. A lot of people in one area puts a strain on resources and this can lead to higher prices and taxes.

Measures to Reduce Brain Drain

There isn't an easy fix for brain drain but business and government leaders can do some things to reduce or minimize it:

  • Increase investments into certain areas of the economy
  • Offer competitive wages
  • Pave the way for legal and social reform
  • Improve the quality of resources such as housing and healthcare
  • Provide affordable housing solutions

Examples of Brain Drain

Brain drain has notably occurred in Puerto Rico and Ukraine.

Ukraine Brain Drain

War and conflict are big catalysts for brain drain. This was evident following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Studies conducted by the European Parliament indicated a massive displacement of the country's population across the European Union (EU) even before Russia's invasion. One of the main areas examined was the movement of students. The number of students who left Ukraine doubled from 25,000 to 50,000 between 2007 and 2014. That number jumped to about 78,000 by 2019. The majority of these students were enrolled in post-secondary institutions in Poland.

Some professionals leaving Ukraine have had a tough time finding work in their fields in other countries because of a lack of available work or transferrable skills. Some are choosing to take on lower-paying jobs to find a sense of security and safety.

Russia has experienced a flight of human capital, too. Economic sanctions placed on the country by the U.S., the United Kingdom, and Canada have had a profound impact on Russian citizens. The federal government implemented laws to punish citizens who supported Ukraine. It's been estimated that as many as 200,000 Russians had left the country by 2022.

Puerto Rico Brain Drain

Brain drain was a significant consequence of the Puerto Rican debt crisis in 2019. It was particularly evident in the exodus of skilled medical professionals. This hit the island hard. Almost half of Puerto Rico's residents receive Medicare or Medicaid but the island receives significantly fewer federal funds to pay for these programs than similarly sized states on the mainland such as Mississippi.

This lack of funding combined with the island's dire financial situation has precluded its ability to offer competitive compensation to doctors, nurses, and other medical staff. These professionals were reported to have left the island en masse for more lucrative opportunities on the mainland as a result.

This form of brain drain was prompted by Hurricane Maria which hit the island in September 2017, creating incentives for emigration.

What Does Brain Drain Mean?

Brain drain is a slang term that refers to the loss of human capital from one area to another or from one industry to another. It usually happens when skilled individuals and professionals leave their home countries, often developing nations, and go elsewhere to take advantage of better opportunities. It also occurs when individuals leave one area of the workforce and go to another.

How Does Economic Growth Help Fight Brain Drain?

Brain drain occurs when there's a lack of opportunity in a certain area. Professionals living in a developing nation might leave in search of better opportunities in parts of the developed world. Making economic investments to boost growth often provides incentives for people to stay because it means access to better and more resources, personal economic prosperity, and the potential for a higher standard of living.

What Impact Does Brain Drain Have on Developing Nations?

Brain drain and the exodus of human capital often have a big impact on developing nations. It leaves a hole that's hard to fill because there may not be as many people with similar skills to fill the void. It also leads to a loss in tax revenue and this can result in higher taxation to make up for the shortfall. Citizens may not be able to access quality resources such as education and health care and this also affects their quality of life.

Human capital is a vital part of the economy but these individuals may look elsewhere for better jobs, higher pay, and an improved standard of living when conditions get tough. A mass exodus of people can lead to brain drain. It can have lasting effects on the local economy when human capital is depleted from an area.

European Parliament. " Russia's War on Ukraine: Ukrainian Students in the EU ."

NBC News. " A Brain Drain Is Devastating Ukraine ."

BBC News. " Russia Faces Brain Drain As Thousands Flee Abroad ."

Center on Budget and Policy Procedures. " Puerto Rico's Medicaid Program Needs an Ongoing Commitment of Federal Funds ."

National Provider Identifier (NPI) Dashboard. " 2020 Update-Aftermath of Hurricane Maria and the Emigration of Health Care Professionals to Mainland US ."

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. " National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Maria ." Page 2.

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Essay on Brain Drain

An essay is a piece of writing that revolves around a particular theme and contains the academic opinions of the person writing it. A basic  essay  mainly consists of three parts: Introduction, Body, and Conclusion.

In this post, you will find a brilliant essay on Brain Drain. Brain drain is the migration of highly educated, trained, and highly skilled people from one nation to another in search of higher pay and benefits from the employer.

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Essay on Brain Drain

Brain drain is the migration of highly educated, trained, and highly skilled people from one nation to another in search of higher pay and benefits from the employer. This phrase was first used by the United Kingdom to refer to the post-colonial influx of Indian scientists and engineers into the country. A lack of chances and competitive pay rates results in the loss of expertise and skills in the country of origin.

Organizational, geographic, and industrial factors can all be used to understand human immigration. Organizational emigration is the movement of educated and skilled workers from one organisation to another, while geographical emigration is the emigration of highly qualified and trained people from their country of residence to other nations like the United Kingdom or the United States for higher education or jobs. Industrial emigration is the movement of workers with traditional skills from one industry sector to another.

Humans generally migrate from one location to another in search of better job prospects, a higher standard of living, and adequate infrastructure. In the areas of mobility, it can occasionally cause a population explosion.

Human migration can be traced back to recent history. Europe experienced an influx of intelligentsia during the Holocaust. In 1933, Albert Einstein moved permanently to the United States, and in 1938, Sigmund Freud , the creator of psychoanalysis and an Austrian neurologist, made the decision to move permanently to London, England, with his wife and daughter.

In developing nations like India, the loss of highly skilled and certified individuals like doctors, engineers, scientists, and technicians is a major source of concern. Low wage scales, out-of-date coursework, and high cutoffs at national colleges all contribute to the misery of the populace. If they can’t find the necessary courses or packages, professionals and students often leave their home nations.

According to a report by the US’s top scientific body, the number of Indian scientists, physicians, and engineers moving to the US has surged by 85% in the last ten years. With 9,50,000 of the 2.96 million migrants in Asia, India maintained its position as the top nation of origin for scientists, physicians, and engineers.

Governments of developing countries need to take some important measures to reduce the rate of brain drain. Also, to prevent the practice, public and private institutions should focus more on creating higher-level job opportunities and a better working environment. Also, universities must work on the cut-off list and aim to offer high-quality education to all prospective.

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Brain Drain is the term used to state a significant emigration of educated and talented individuals. It occurs in countries such as India where the employment opportunities are not at par with the educated youth in the nation. Brain Drain is a slang used to describe a considerable emigration of highly educated and brilliant individuals. It is mainly an outcome of lack of good employment opportunities within a nation.

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Long and Short Essay on Brain Drain in English

Below we have provided short and long essay on brain drain of varying lengths in English for your information and knowledge and to help you with the topic whenever you required.

After going through the essays you will know what is brain drain; what are its impacts on the growth of a nation; what are the causes of brain drain; what steps had the government taken to prevent brain drain and what steps should be further taken by the government.

You can use these brain drain essay in your school/college events like speech giving, essay writing and debate etc.

Brain Drain Essay – 1 (200 words)

Migration of a significant number of educated and talented people from a country is referred to as Brain Drain. It occurs because of better job prospects in other countries as compared to one’s own country. Besides, brain drain may even occur at industrial or organizational levels when there is mass exodus from a company or industry as the other offers a better pay and other benefits. Brain Drain is a loss for the country, organization and industry as it takes away the most talented individuals of the lot.

The term, brain drain is often used to describe the emigration of scientists, doctors, engineers and other high profile professionals such as those in the banking and finance sector. Their emigration has a negative impact on their places of origin. In case of geographic brain drain, in addition to the loss of expertise, the consumer spending in the country also suffers immense loss. Hence, it can be a major loss for the country’s economy.

While the geographic brain drain occurs due to better financial prospects and standard of living in other countries, organizational brain drain may be caused due to various reasons including poor leadership, unreasonable work pressure, low salary package and lack of professional growth.

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Brain Drain Essay – 2 (300 words)

Introduction.

Brain Drain refers to the mass departure of learned and talented people from a country, organization or industry. It causes a major problem for their place of origin as it suffers loss of talent that in turn impacts their economic condition. Many countries and organizations around the world are undergoing this grave issue due to various factors.

The Origin of the Term – Brain Drain

The term brain drain was sprint by the Royal Society. It was initially coined to refer to the mass departure of the scientists and technologists from the post-war Europe to North America. However, as per another source, this term first sprung up in the United Kingdom and it referred to the arrival of the Indian engineers and scientists. Brain waste and brain circulation are other similar terms.

Initially, the term referred to the technology workers immigrating to another nation however over the time it has become a general term used to describe the mass departure of talented and skilled individuals from one country, industry or organization to another in search of better paying jobs and higher standard of living.

Brain Drain a Common Phenomenon in Developing Countries

While certain first world counties such as UK have also experienced major brain drain, the phenomenon is more common in developing countries such as India and China. There are many factors that are responsible for brain drain in these countries. Higher salaries, better medical facilities, access to advanced technology, better standard of living and more stable political conditions are among few of the things that attract professionals towards the developed countries.

Several countries across the globe are facing the problem of brain drain and the government of these countries are taking certain measures to control the same however the problem still persists. Better plans need to be put in to place to control this issue.

Brain Drain Essay – 3 (400 words)

Brain Drain is a broad term used to describe mass migration of highly talented and skilled individuals from one country to another. The term is also used to refer to the mass departure of skilled professionals from one industry or organization to another to seek better pay and other benefits.

Types of Brain Drain

As mentioned above brain drain occurs at three levels – geographic, organizational and industrial. Here is a look at these different types of Brain Drain in detail:

  • Geographical Brain Drain

It is referred to the departure of highly brilliant and skilled individuals to another country in search of better paying jobs. It has a negative impact of their home country’s economy and overall development.

  • Organizational Brain Drain

The mass exodus of highly talented, skilled and creative employees from one organization to join another is referred to as organizational brain drain. It weakens the organization and toughens competition.

  • Industrial Brain Drain

It is the departure of employees from one industry in search of better jobs in other industries. It disturbs the working of the industries where brain drain occurs.

Factors Causing Brain Drain

There are different factors that cause brain drain at different levels. Though these factors are more or less the same, here is a look at these category wise:

  • Geographic Brain Drain

Here are the factors responsible for geographic brain drain:

  • Unstable political conditions of a country
  • Reservation system (in India) that denies good jobs to the deserving candidates and mostly provides high pay packages to the non-deserving ones
  • Low standard of living
  • Lack of good employment opportunities
  • Lack of good medical facilities

It generally occurs due to the following reasons:

  • Lack of good leadership and management in the organization
  • Low or no scope of growth
  • Pay packages lower than the market standards
  • Lack of fair play while giving promotions
  • No appreciation for work
  • Stringent working hours
  • Unreasonable work pressure
  • Relocation to a remote place also causes people to look for job elsewhere

Here are some of the top reasons for industrial brain drain:

  • Low salary package
  • Low growth prospects
  • Undue work load
  • Health hazards attached to certain industries

The factors responsible for brain drain have clearly identified. All that needs to done is to control these in order to overcome the issue. Among other things, there is a need to float better job opportunities in the market, offer pay packages at par with a person’s skill and create a healthy work environment to avoid this issue.

Brain Drain Essay – 4 (500 words)

Brain Drain, the process of talented individuals migrating from their home country to another in search of better job prospects and enhanced standard of living, is a growing problem these days. It is a loss for the country of origin as they lose out on talent that impacts their economy negatively. A number of countries across the world see a major pool of talent moving out each year.

Countries Suffering Brain Drain

While the third world countries suffer majorly from the issue of brain drain, developed countries are not safe either. Here is a look at the countries suffering major brain drain:

  • The United Kingdom

The United Kingdom that attracts numerous immigrants each year with its attractive pay packages and high standard of living also sees a major brain drain. Several individuals with University degrees have left UK, their country of origin, to seek jobs in other parts of the world.

The education system of India considered to quite strong and one that produces extremely talented and highly intelligent youth who in demand in every part of the world. Indians get good packages outside along with better standard of living and thus leave their country.

Greece has also included in the list of countries facing the brain drain problem lately. The debt crises explosion in 2008 led to a rapid increase in this issue. A majority of the people from Greece migrate to Germany each year.

Iran known for religious dictatorship and political oppression and this has led more than 4 million Iranians to migrate to other countries.

The civil war in Nigeria is one of the main reasons for Brain Drain in the country. A large number of Nigerians migrate to US each year in search of better job prospects and better standard of living.

Malaysia has also been facing the problem of Brain Drain mainly because its neighbouring country, Singapore offers better paying jobs there by sucking the former’s talent.

China, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mexico and Jamaica are among the other countries that suffer major brain drain.

Impact on the Place of Origin

Brain Drain is not only geographic, large number of talented individuals migrating from one organization to another or from one industry to another also known as Brain Drain. When a pool of highly talented and skilled individuals leaves their country, organization or industry and moves to another one in search of better prospects it is an obvious loss for their original place as the work at the later place suffers and so does its economic prosperity. In case of geographic brain drain, the immigration of doctors and engineers also has a negative impact on the society as a whole.

The countries and organizations facing major brain drain problem should analyze the factors responsible for the same and work upon improving the conditions to avoid this issue. It will help boost their place of origin economically.

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Brain Drain Essay – 5 (600 words)

When a pool of learned and talented professionals especially doctors, engineers and those belonging to the financial sector leave their country of origin to seek better job opportunities in another country it known as Brain Drain. The problem is quite common in developing countries such as India. The mass exodus of employees from one company or industry to join the other also counted as Brain Drain.

India Suffers Major Brain Drain

Indians are making the country proud by excelling in different fields and securing highly paid jobs in different parts of the world. They are known to be brilliant in the fields of business and technology and there have been several reports stating that Indians form a major part of United State’s technology industry. Indians have thus contributed majorly towards building U.S. technology and in turn its economy. If they had contributed even half as much in the development of India, the country would have been in a better shape currently.

India suffers a major Brain Drain as the employment opportunities available here are not at par with the quality of education provided. Some of the other factors include the unfair reservation system, huge taxes and low standard of living.

Ways to Control Brain Drain

The geographic brain drain as well as that happening at organizational level is equally difficult to deal with. So why not avoid it in the first place. Here are a few ways to overcome the problem of geographic as well as organizational brain drain:

Do Away with the Quota System

In countries such as India, the talented lot suffer at the hands of the quota system. Many undeserving people from the reserved category secure highly paid jobs while the deserving candidates have to settle for lesser paying ones. It is but natural for such deserving individuals to seek job that is at par with their talent in a different country and shift base at the first opportunity they get. It is high time the government of India should do away with this biased quota system.

Let Merit be the Sole Decider

Apart from the quota system, people also preferred based on their creed, race and other things that have nothing to do with their talent when it comes to giving jobs. Many people have an inclination of giving jobs to those belonging to their own community or town. All this must stopped and a person must get job based on his merit and ability.

Fair Promotion

Many bosses have a liking for certain employees and a dislike for others. Often times it seen that even if an employee working hard and is doing a good job he still misses out on the promotion and the one who is the boss’ favourite get promoted even though he does not qualify in certain parameters. This causes dissatisfaction among the employees and they seek better opportunities outside.

Improve Leadership

It said that an employee does not leave the organization, he leaves his boss. Lack of good leaders and managers can cost the company a number of talented employees. People encouraged and rewarded for their work and if this does not happen at right time, they feel demotivated and look for opportunities outside.

Salary Packages

An organization must be fair when it comes to deciding salary packages. There should not be huge variation when it comes to salary packages of the employees working at the same level. Also, salary package must at par with market standards else employee will leave as soon as he gets a deserving package.

One of ways to uplift economy of developing countries such as India is to control problem of Brain Drain. Ways to control this problem such as ones mentioned here must taken seriously and implemented by government.

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Brain drain from developing countries: how can brain drain be converted into wisdom gain?

Brain drain is defined as the migration of health personnel in search of the better standard of living and quality of life, higher salaries, access to advanced technology and more stable political conditions in different places worldwide. This migration of health professionals for better opportunities, both within countries and across international borders, is of growing concern worldwide because of its impact on health systems in developing countries. Why do talented people leave their countries and go abroad? What are the consequences of such migrations especially on the educational sector? What policies can be adopted to stem such movements from developing countries to developed countries?

This article seeks to raise questions, identify key issues and provide solutions which would enable immigrant health professionals to share their knowledge, skills and innovative capacities and thereby enhancing the economic development of their countries.

INTRODUCTION

Brain drain is the migration of skilled human resources for trade, education, etc. 1 Trained health professionals are needed in every part of the world. However, better standards of living and quality of life, higher salaries, access to advanced technology and more stable political conditions in the developed countries attract talent from less developed areas. The majority of migration is from developing to developed countries. This is of growing concern worldwide because of its impact on the health systems in developing countries. These countries have invested in the education and training of young health professionals. This translates into a loss of considerable resources when these people migrate, with the direct benefit accruing to the recipient states who have not forked out the cost of educating them. The intellectuals of any country are some of the most expensive resources because of their training in terms of material cost and time, and most importantly, because of lost opportunity.

In 2000 almost 175 million people, or 2.9% of the world’s population, were living outside their country of birth for more than a year. Of these, about 65 million were economically active. 2 This form of migration has in the past involved many health professionals 3 : nurses and physicians have sought employment abroad for many reasons including high unemployment in their home country.

International migration first emerged as a major public health concern in the 1940s when many European professionals emigrated to the UK and USA. 4 In the 1970s, the World Health Organization (WHO) published a detailed 40-country study on the magnitude and flow of the health professionals. 5 According to this report, close to 90% of all migrating physicians, were moving to just five countries: Australia, Canada, Germany, UK and USA. 5

In 1972, about 6% of the world’s physicians (140 000) were located outside their countries of origin. Over three-quarters were found in only three countries: in order of magnitude, the USA, UK and Canada. 6 The main donor countries reflected colonial and linguistic ties, with a dominance of Asian countries: India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. By linking the number of physicians per 10 000 population to gross domestic product (GDP) per capita , the countries that produced more physicians than they had the capacity to absorb were identified 7 as Egypt, India, Pakistan, Philippines and South Korea. However, the lack of reliable data and the difficulties of defining whether a migrant is ‘permanent’ or ‘temporary’ still exist.

One may claim that this migration from developing countries is both useful and unavoidable. There are definite advantages—enabling the migrant to spend time in other countries—but at the same time, the very low emigration rate of professionals from USA or UK may be as disturbing a sign as the high rates of immigration to these countries.

Young, well-educated, healthy individuals are most likely to migrate, especially in pursuit of higher education and economic improvement. 8 , 9 The distinction between ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors has been recognized. 10 Continuing disparities in working conditions between richer and poorer countries offer a greater ‘pull’ towards the more developed countries. The role of governments and recruitment agencies in systematically encouraging the migration of health professionals increases the pull. 10 Migrant health professionals are faced with a combination of economic, social and psychological factors, and family choices 11 , and reflect the ‘push–pull’ nature of the choices underpinning these ‘journeys of hope’. De-motivating working conditions, coupled with low salaries, are set against the likelihood of prosperity for themselves and their families, work in well-equipped hospitals, and the opportunity for professional development. 12

In many cases, the country is not only losing its investment in the education of health professionals, but also the contribution of these workers to health care. For example, healthcare expenditure in India is 3% of GDP compared to 13% of GDP in the USA and the ratio of doctor to patients in India is 1:2083 compared to the USA where the ratio is 1:500. 13 Moreover, in many developing countries healthcare systems are suffering from years of underinvestment, which, for health professionals, has resulted in low wages, poor working conditions, a lack of leadership and very few incentives. 14

Employers in receiving countries take a different position; they have their own shortages of skilled people in specific fields and can drain a developing country of expertise by providing job opportunities. 15 Kupfer et al. provided the strategies to discourage migration to the USA, a major recipient country. 16 However, keeping the social, political and economic conditions in the developing countries in mind, can we stop the brain drain? Probably not!

Higher education is one of the principal conduits of permanent emigration. 17 The majority of doctors acquire specialized and postgraduate professional qualifications in the host country. Half of the foreign-born graduate students in France, UK and USA remain there after completing their studies. 18 Among the doctoral graduates in science and engineering in the USA in 1995, 79% of those from India and 88% from China remained in the USA. 19 The recent study on brain drain from 24 major countries published by the World Bank 20 also presented data on South Asian immigration to the USA ( Table 1 ). Migration to OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries is also shown in Table 2 . Yet more data showing the momentum and demand for skilled people by high tech and research and development (R&D) industries illustrating accelerated flows of highly skilled workers to OECD countries are shown in Figure 1 .

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Object name is 488f1g.jpg

Employment of scientists and engineers with doctoral degrees in academia in the USA, 1973–1999. (Adopted from National Science Board. Science and engineering indicators, 2002 [ www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/seind02/start.htm ])

Number of South Asian immigrants (age 25 and older) to the USA by level of educational attainment, 2000

South Asia
Bangladesh 69,180 6,000 20,095 43,085
India 836,780 41,185 127,540 668,055
Pakistan 165,425 11,630 43,365 110,430
Sri Lanka 2,820 495 5,695 15,630

Immigrants defined as foreign born population in the USA age 25 years or over. Primary education or less corresponds to 0-8 years of schooling; secondary to 9-12 years of schooling, and tertiary to more than 12 years of schooling [Source: A Study of 24 Labor-Exporting Countries . World Bank report, June 2003]

Stock of foreign students in OECD countries, 1998 (obtained from OECD 2002 [ http://www.oecd.org/home/ ]

USA 430,800 39.0
UK 209,600 59.8
Germany 171,200 56.3
France 148,000 26.8
Australia 109,400 18.4
Japan 55,800 38.2
Canada 32,900 42.1
Spain 29,000 65.7
Austria 28,000 65.6
Turkey 18,700 8.9
Total OECD 1,327,000 44.5

OECD, Organization for Economic Corporation and Development

These statistics suggest that if developing countries provided world-class education and training opportunities, as well as opportunities for career advancement and employment, the migratory flow could be reduced. 21 However, in reality, this may not make much difference. On the plus side, foreign-born graduates acquire expensive skills which are not available within their countries. On the negative side, these skills and knowledge never migrate back to their own countries.

Besides the pull–push factors described earlier, some researchers from developing countries cite other reasons for not returning after training which include: lack of research funding; poor facilities; limited career structures; poor intellectual stimulation; threats of violence; and lack of good education for children in their home country. 20 Incentives for migrants to return to developing countries have been insufficient to override the limitations at home—both real and perceived—and the attraction of opportunities found abroad. Many of these countries have made significant investments in infrastructure and education but have not achieved the scientific development, technological and innovative capability either to retain or to recover the human capital that they have generated. Is there a solution to this problem? This raises the question of whether one can justify losing human capital or whether one should make the additional investment in science and technology and bring about the innovations that will stop the loss and convert it into wealth generation.

CONVERTING BRAIN DRAIN INTO WISDOM GAIN

Developing countries, especially South Asia, are now the main source of healthcare migration to developed countries. This trend has led to concerns that the outflow of healthcare professionals is adversely affecting the healthcare system in developing countries and, hence, the health of the population. As a result, decision-makers in source countries are searching for policy options to slow down and even reverse the outflow of healthcare professionals. Is it possible to do so? Maybe not, bearing in mind the current political and economic situations of the source countries and globalization. The increasing demand for health care in the higher income countries is fuelled to a large extent by demographic trends, e.g. the ageing of the baby-boom generation. 22

The opening up of international borders for goods and labour, a key strategy in the current liberal global economy, is accompanied by a linguistic shift from ‘human capital flight’ and ‘brain drain’ to ‘professional mobility’ or ‘brain circulation’. 22 Solutions should therefore be based on this wider perspective, interrelating health workforce imbalances between, but also within developing and developed countries.

At current levels, wage differentials between source and destination country are so large that small increases in healthcare wages in source countries are unlikely to affect significantly the supply of healthcare migrants. According to the results of a study in Pakistan, a small proportion of people funded for a doctorate face on return major nonfinancial disincentives for good performance. 23 Thus the financial component of such flows is only part of the picture and in some cases not the major push or pull factor. Moreover, there is a need to review the social, political, and economic reasons behind the exodus, and to provide security and opportunities for further development locally. Lowering of standards should not be accepted; instead local conditions should be reviewed and rectified.

CONTRIBUTIONS BY SHARING KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS TO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

It is time to understand and accept that health professionals’ mobility is part of life in the 21st century. Countries need to recognize that they compete with the best institutions in the world for quality manpower. It is time to bury the archaic concept of brain drain and turn to assessing the performance of health professionals and systems, wherever they are in the world. The turn of the 21st century has not only brought technology, but also modes by which scientists around the world can be connected in no time. In this globalized world the physical location of a person may or may not have any relation to the ability to make an impact on human health. Health professionals in the developed world may have most of their work portfolios in the developing world. Easy communication, quick travel, and greater collaborations between developed and developing countries are increasingly more common and we need to develop ways in which foreign professionals can contribute to their countries of origin.

Remittances from expatriates living abroad constitute a significant proportion of foreign revenue for many developing countries. 24 In Bangladesh for example US$ 2 billion is received from citizens who have emigrated overseas, and these remittances are the second largest source of foreign revenue. 25 The transfer and management of remittance revenues are potentially exploitable factors in plumbing the brain drain. Formalizing the transfer of remittances might permit the generation of revenues that could be invested nationally in the social and economic development of the developing home country. However, the magnitude and economic importance of remittances, economic development and growth, and ultimately social equity, depend on the endogenous capacity of each nation’s human resources. If only a small percentage of the multimillion dollar sums sent home by emigrants could be invested in research and development, might not opportunities for highly skilled and educated nationals improve at home? And would this not in turn spur economic development? Maybe to some extent—but without resources and skills, this may not have a huge impact on health and disease prevention.

It has been estimated that foreign scientists from developing countries who are involved in research and development produce 4.5 more publications and 10 times more patents than their counterparts at home. 26 Why is there such a vast difference in productive capacity? The context and conditions in which science and technology are able to prosper require political decisions, funding, infrastructure, technical support, and a scientific community; these are generally unavailable in developing countries. The value and effectiveness of individuals depends on their connection to the people, institutions and organizations that enable knowledge creation, and together constitute a propitious environment. These expatriate scientists and healthcare professionals can contribute their knowledge, clinical and research skills to their native countries by developing collaborative training programmes, research projects and teaching their own countrymen. This requires the commitment of foreign scientists and receptiveness at the other end. Scientists, political leaders and decision-makers in developing and developed countries, and international development agencies, need to appreciate the social and synergistic nature of knowledge sharing so that policies and education systems are designed to promote and enable research and development.

Healthcare services are a rapidly growing sector of the world economy and trade in health services has created diverse means of accessing these services across borders. For example, information technology can provide telemedicine services and telepreventive services. These information technologies can be used as a mode of sharing knowledge and research skills in a cost-effective manner.

One such large network is already in place called supercourse [ www.pitt.edu/∼super1 ] 27 which has connected more than 20 000 scientists, healthcare professionals and researchers together through IT connectivity, and they share their knowledge in the form of teaching lectures (currently there are more than 2000 lectures) for free to a global audience. A similar kind of connectivity needs to be developed by expatriate citizens who can contribute their knowledge and skills to their countries of origin without any major costs. Policies are needed to ensure that these favourable outcomes are realized as an equitable access to the benefits of the international trade in health services.

The availability of both high-quality education and opportunities in research are the keys to retaining and attracting regional talent. The steps taken by China towards becoming a leader in biological research and biotechnology illustrate the empowerment. The scientific leadership positioned China to become the only developing country participating in the Human Genome Project. 28 Experience gained through the participation of its institutions in the Human Genome Project (including large-scale sequencing, the use of bioinformatics and the coordination of multi-centre research protocols) provided the platform for developing biotechnology that can be applied to human diseases and agriculture. The opportunities generated by the Chinese in biotechnology attract both international collaboration in joint ventures and gifted scientists from China and abroad.

A similar example can be replicated in other developing countries with the help of their foreign expatriate citizens who have developed skills in research that are needed in their native countries. This approach to creating targeted educational opportunity together with political decision and investment in science and technology infrastructure provides a good example of a resourceful way of redirecting the brain drain. It is tempting to think that such on-site programmes involving national talent at home and abroad coupled with creative distance learning strategies could create networks of expatriates thus enabling their countries of origin to gain access to a world-class education in specific disciplines in the developing world.

Scientists who have emigrated for several reasons are recoverable assets who can play a part in developing opportunities at home. However, recovery requires the opening of diverse and creative conduits. The health services in the developing world must be supported to maintain their skilled personnel. Only when health staff, whatever their cadre, have the tools they require to do their job, training opportunities, a network of supportive colleagues, and recognition for the difficult job they do, are they likely to feel motivated to stay put when opportunity beckons from elsewhere. Foreign professionals could be used to develop innovative graduate education opportunities at home and technology to be transfered to areas of national priorities for research and development. Ultimately, involving individuals who are living abroad in creating opportunities at home favours both the retention and repatriation of national talent. Building an enlightened leadership and an enabling national scientific community, with the help of expatriate citizens, for the coherent development of scientific and technological capacity in developing countries will be mutually beneficial.

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to all Aga Khan University alumni at AKU Karachi, Pakistan and AKU USA for their valuable help.

Essay of the Week: Brain drain in the developing world

Our band nine sample essays give you the opportunity to learn from successful essays that show off the best structure, vocabulary and grammar. This problem and solution type essay is about the complex issue of 'brain drain' in the developing world.

An increasing number of professionals like teachers and doctors are leaving poorer countries where they grew up to work in richer countries. What are some problems this causes and what are some solutions?

In recent years, developed countries have seen an influx of educators and healthcare practitioners from the developing world. In this essay, I will look at two issues this causes and present some solutions. First, that these countries do not recoup their investments in these people’s education, and second, that this leads to an unfair distribution of important workers. 

First, professionals leaving the country after graduation is unfair to the countries who train them. When countries train public workers, they are making an investment in their education that they expect to recoup by having well trained staff in important jobs. If these professionals then leave the country for a high salary in the developed world, this means the country fails to get anything back for it’s investment. This is especially problematic for developing countries who have less public money available for education. 

Second, this causes a shortage of professionals in those countries. Because these professionals have in-demand skills, it is easy for them to find jobs and visas abroad. This can cause staff shortages as poorer countries can lose staff to countries with more money causing a damaging shortage. For example, a country might lose teachers and then struggle to develop because of a lack of education provision.

To conclude, losing skilled professionals is both unfair and damaging to countries. However, there are several solutions to this problem. Developed countries should focus more on training their own workers rather than relying on the developing world. In addition, poorer countries should make training conditional on trainees working in that country for a period of time.

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The brain makes a lot of waste. now scientists think they know where it goes.

Jon Hamilton 2010

Jon Hamilton

The brain has a waste removal system and scientists are figuring out how it works

Various pieces of colorful trash, such as plastic bottle caps and plastics forks, are arranged in the shape of a human brain, on a light blue background.

New insights into the brain's waste-removal system could one day help researchers better understand and prevent many brain disorders. Andriy Onufriyenko/Getty Images hide caption

About 170 billion cells are in the brain, and as they go about their regular tasks, they produce waste — a lot of it. To stay healthy, the brain needs to wash away all that debris. But how exactly it does this has remained a mystery.

Now, two teams of scientists have published three papers that offer a detailed description of the brain's waste-removal system. Their insights could help researchers better understand, treat and perhaps prevent a broad range of brain disorders.

The papers, all published in the journal Nature , suggest that during sleep, slow electrical waves push the fluid around cells from deep in the brain to its surface. There, a sophisticated interface allows the waste products in that fluid to be absorbed into the bloodstream, which takes them to the liver and kidneys to be removed from the body.

One of the waste products carried away is amyloid, the substance that forms sticky plaques in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease.

This illustration demonstrates how the thin film of sensors could be applied to the brain during surgery.

This new brain-mapping device could make neurosurgery safer

There's growing evidence that in Alzheimer's disease, the brain's waste-removal system is impaired, says Jeffrey Iliff , who studies neurodegenerative diseases at the University of Washington but was not a part of the new studies.

The new findings should help researchers understand precisely where the problem is and perhaps fix it, Iliff says.

"If we restore drainage, can we prevent the development of Alzheimer's disease?" he asks.

A brief history of brainwashing

The new studies come more than a decade after Iliff and Dr. Maiken Nedergaard , a Danish scientist, first proposed that the clear fluids in and around the brain are part of a system to wash away waste products.

The scientists named it the glymphatic system , a nod to the body's lymphatic system , which helps fight infection, maintain fluid levels and filter out waste products and abnormal cells.

Both systems work like plumbing in a house, says Jonathan Kipnis of Washington University in St. Louis, an author of two of the new papers.

"You have the water pipes and the sewage pipes," Kipnis says. "So the water comes in clean, and then you wash your hands, and the dirty water goes out."

These identical twins both grew up with autism, but took very different paths

These identical twins both grew up with autism, but took very different paths

But the lymphatic system uses a network of thin tubes that transports waste to the bloodstream. The brain lacks these tubes.

So scientists have spent decades trying to answer a fundamental question, Kipnis says: "How does a waste molecule from the middle of the brain make it all the way out to the borders of the brain" and ultimately out of the body?

Part of the answer came in 2012 and 2013, when Iliff and Nedergaard began proposing the glymphatic system. They showed that in sleeping animals, cerebrospinal fluid begins to flow quickly through the brain, flushing out waste.

But what was pushing the fluid? And how was it transporting waste across the barrier that usually separates brain tissue from the bloodstream?

Waves that wash

Kipnis and his team began looking at what the brain was doing as it slept. As part of that effort, they measured the power of a slow electrical wave that appears during deep sleep in animals.

And they realized something: "By measuring the wave, we are also measuring the flow of interstitial fluid," the liquid found in the spaces around cells, Kipnis says.

It turned out that the waves were acting as a signal, synchronizing the activity of neurons and transforming them into tiny pumps that push fluid toward the brain's surface, the team reported in February in the journal Nature .

In a second paper published in the same issue of Nature , a team led by scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology provided more evidence that slow electrical waves help clear out waste.

The team used mice that develop a form of Alzheimer's. They exposed these mice to bursts of sound and light that occurred 40 times a second.

Domestic violence may leave telltale damage in the brain. Scientists want to find it

Domestic violence may leave telltale damage in the brain. Scientists want to find it

The stimulation induced brain waves in the animals that occurred at the same, slow frequency.

Tests showed that the waves increased the flow of clean cerebrospinal fluid into the brain and the flow of dirty fluid out of the brain. They also showed that the fluid was carrying amyloid, the substance that builds up in the brains of Alzheimer's patients.

In a paper published a few weeks earlier, Kipnis had shown how waste, including amyloid, appeared to be crossing the protective membrane that usually isolates the brain.

Kipnis and his team focused on a vein that passes through this membrane.

"Around the vein, you have a sleeve, which is never fully sealed," he says. "That's where the [cerebrospinal fluid] is coming out" and transferring waste to the body's lymphatic system.

From mice to humans

Together, the new studies suggest that keeping the brain's waste-clearance system functioning requires two distinct steps: one to push waste into the cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds the brain, and another to move it into the lymphatic system and eventually out of the body.

"We've described them separately," Iliff says, "but from a biological perspective, they almost certainly are coupled."

Iliff says many of the new findings in mice still need to be confirmed in people.

"The anatomical differences between a rodent and a human," he says, "they're pretty substantial."

But he says the results are consistent with research on what leads to neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's.

Researchers know that the brain's waste-clearance system can be impaired by age, injuries and diseases that clog blood vessels in the brain.

"All of these are risk factors for Alzheimer's disease," Iliff says.

Impaired waste removal may also be a factor in Parkinson's disease, headache and even depression, Iliff says. So finding ways to help the brain clean itself — perhaps by inducing those slow electrical waves — might prevent a wide array of disorders.

Correction June 26, 2024

A previous version of this story incorrectly described the bursts of sound and light used in an experiment as occurring at 40 times a minute. They occurred at 40 times a second.

  • Alzheimer's
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  • human brain
  • neuroscience

Understanding the Brain’s Role in Controlling Taste Sensation

This essay is about the brain’s role in controlling the sense of taste. It explains how taste perception begins with taste buds on the tongue which send signals through the gustatory pathway to the brainstem and then to the thalamus. The primary gustatory cortex in the insula and frontal operculum identifies basic taste qualities while the orbitofrontal cortex integrates taste with smell and texture. The amygdala handles emotional responses to taste and the hypothalamus regulates appetite and satiety. The essay also highlights the influence of other sensory inputs cognitive factors and the plasticity of the gustatory system in shaping taste preferences and perceptions.

How it works

Taste is a big part of our daily life controlled by different parts of our brain. It lets us enjoy all kinds of flavors from sweet chocolate to bitter coffee. Figuring out how our brain handles taste gives us cool ideas about how we taste and love food.

It all starts with taste buds on our tongue—they pick up sweet salty sour bitter and umami flavors. These buds send messages through a network called the gustatory pathway. First stop: the brainstem where taste signals get sorted out.

Then it’s off to the thalamus a kind of brain switchboard which sends them to the main taste area in the brain—the gustatory cortex in the insula and frontal operculum.

But tasting isn’t just about identifying flavors. It’s also about mixing in smells textures temperatures and even feelings and memories about food. Higher-up brain parts like the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) help with this—they team up tastes with smells to make flavors pop. This helps us tell apart a strawberry and a raspberry not just by taste but also by smell and feel.

Then there’s the amygdala part of our emotional brain. It gets involved when we love a dessert or hate a veggie. That’s why certain foods can bring back strong memories—like a favorite meal from when you were a kid or a comforting dish during tough times.

And don’t forget the hypothalamus—it helps us know when we’re hungry or full. It teams up with the taste system to make food taste better when we need it most like making sweet or savory things more tempting when we’re hungry.

Taste is also shaped by other senses and what we think. Our brain puts together how food feels and its temperature with taste to give us the whole experience. Plus our past what we expect and our culture all shape what we like to taste.

Recent studies show our taste can change over time. Trying new foods how we eat and even health stuff can make us like tastes we used to hate like bitter stuff in coffee or dark chocolate. This shows how our brain can learn and change how we feel tastes.

In the end taste is a team effort in our brain with lots of parts working together. From finding taste with our buds to mixing in all our senses and feelings our brain makes sure we enjoy and understand all the flavors around us. Knowing how our brain handles taste not only makes us appreciate food more but also tells us a lot about how our senses work and why we do what we do.

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