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Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2003 13:31:01 +0100
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Michael --
You make some important points: it's about the flow of brains rather than
brain drain, and it's about the role of government.
There's an important difference between people and countries: people are
mobile, and countries are not. According to our currently upheld beliefs in
freedom, people should be allowed to live where they like and work where
they like. If a country is unattractive for work and life, move away.
Obviously, this is a personal choice to make.
This is where the government (and the society as a whole -- don't blame the
government for everything!) has a responsibility to improve the
attractiveness of its territory. China currently experiences as brain reflow
from the US: thousands of Chinese scientists and engineers return to their
homeland that they left for study or for political reasons (some of which
continue to be strongly involved in the Silicon Valley scene -- they're
called 'astronauts' because they travel a lot back and forth). Brain reflow
may also be planned: After the Meiji restauration, Japan sent the best and
brightest abroad to study and to return after six years so that they would
build a modern state (Japan is the first (some say the only) fully
industrialized country outside the Western hemisphere). And brain flow
doesn't have to be limited to your own people: after the massacre of French
protestants (Bartholomew's Night, 1572) the Prussian king offered them
religious freedom and shelter in Berlin: the result was Prussia's ascendancy
to European dominance (about half of the population of Berlin spoke french
at that time!)
To make a long story short: I hope that our government will be more active
in making Switzerland a more attractive place to live and work -- then they
don't have to worry about brain drain. As a side effect, the local
population benefits too.
Max
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Received on Wed Feb 05 2003 - 16:24:39 PST
