Europe Slow in Stemming "Brain Drain" to America

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | 10/20/03 | Michael Woods

[LS]

BARCELONA, Spain -- The United States sucks in people and products from the rest of the world like a swirling drain. But while other nations love to sell their wares to affluent Americans, they do not enjoy losing to the United States one of their most valuable resources: scientific brainpower.

[LS]

And I thought we were "losing" all the smart people to "India."

[Montfort]

Perhaps the answer is not more European governmnet jobs (and grants) for scientists, but running businesses for a profit.

What a novel concept.

[mykdsmom]

Poor countries are hurt worst by this "brain drain" because their underdeveloped economies provide little in the way of resources to provide decent pay or facilities for top researchers. But even advanced industrial nations with first-rate educational institutions have trouble holding on to their scientists, and those in Europe are beginning to fight back.

Perhaps they should try Capitalism instead of Socialism. This stuff just amazes me, it isn't an accident the US is the richest most successful country and everyone wants to live here . There are plenty of examples that Socialism doesn't work but some just keep trying.

MKM

[JohnnyZ]

France is leading the pack, trying to drive away their Jews.

[LS]

Interesting comment. The U.S. has always been friendly to oppressed people, especially Jews, who made up the backbone of our atomic bomb effort in WW II.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

People are free to become what and who they want in America. Elsewhere, they are not.

[Porterville]

Since then, the problem has done nothing but grow

Not a problem except for a liberal who hates America, and a Euro centric nation that hates Jews, like france. Israel doesn't seem to have any problem nor does Japan.

[JohnSmithee]

"And I thought we were "losing" all the smart people to "India."

Whoever said such a thing? We are losing the R&D from private companies to India. R&D people are "smart" but typically not in the same league as the scientists we have working in this country. At least we are still number one in this area, and I cannot see any other country coming close to us in basic research.

[.cnI redruM]

Insolarity and nativism are killing Europe. They would kill our country as well.

[JohnSmithee]

"Perhaps they should try Capitalism instead of Socialism. This stuff just amazes me, it isn't an accident the US is the richest most successful country and everyone wants to live here . There are plenty of examples that Socialism doesn't work but some just keep trying."

You could easily make the argument that government sponsored research in this country is based on a socialist model. Just something to think about.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

This is what the Clintons had in mind.

[GingisK]

And I thought we were "losing" all the smart people to "India."

We're not. The smart people here are losing thier jobs to people in India. You better learn the difference if you want your Nation to survive.

The US won't be attracting "brains" if the engineering jobs are transfered elsewhere. Once such a trend "sets" it will be almost impossible to reverese.

[RightWhale]

Although Europe may be losing scientists to America, America is relatively losing scientists to the rest of the world. After WW II America dominated science as measured by proportion of scientific articles in refereed journals and by proportion of patents. That dominant lead is dwindling as developing countries lose their 3rd world status and can support good science. A new Gaussian curve is being written on the wall and America is sliding toward mediocrity.

[LS]

Small problem with your theory: why should any scientists bother to stop off here first then? Why not go straight to these other areas? BTW, how many American scientists do you know who actually have GONE to another country permanently?

[LS]

"The people are losing their jobs to people in India." Ahhhh. I was waiting for this. That's not what the article said. It said they were coming HERE for jobs after they graduate. If not, why not go straight to India????

[LS]

I can't see anyone coming close to us in either basic research or R&D. But the article did say Japan was outspending us in "basic research." Of course, what's new? Every decade we get these horror stories of how we are "losing our advantage" to some unnamed furriners. Course, we never do.

[Porterville]

I don't wet my pants at night about the US loosing jobs to any country, ever... I know better.

[LS]

Amen. This is precisely why no matter what "R&D" from private companies goes abroad, it tends to pool there and not develop, because they simply don't have the CONDITIONS OF FREEDOM to enable it to germinate as it does here.

[RightWhale]

Small problem with your theory

That's not it. Scientists aren't leaving, they're not coming here in such proportional numbers since they have improving opportunities at home. It's a matter of growth in 3rd world countries and lack of proportional increase of budgets here. Instead of 80% of science and invenstion, we are headed toward 20% to match our relative national products.

[laotzu]

Bust your ass, study hard, and live out the French dream?!!!

No....come to America, of course.