Brain Drain

• Brain drain refers to ‘Migration of the highly skilled professionals to the foreign countries in search of better opportunities’

• significant feature which can be seen in developing countries.• important pattern of international human migration.• large number of intellectuals leave their native lands and

settle in the developed countries.

Brain Drain

• Brain drain can occur 1. individuals who study abroad do not return to their home

country2. when individuals are educated in their home country

emigrate (drains more resources from the home country)

Causes

• inadequate salaries in home country - inspired to migrate overseas to earn more money.

• lack of job opportunities in the relevant fields• Further education,• Acquiring better living conditions• Prevailing political instability and ethnic conflict

Situation in Sri Lanka

• Store of intelligence among third world countries, comprise of educated people with high level of knowledge and competencies.

• Started in 1960s and the rate has been increased from considerable percentage at present.

• Migrate to the countries like United States, Australia ,Canada, United Kingdom, New Zealand.

• Shortage of skilled people in many fields . • The high skilled categories with high outflow are doctors and accountants • Migration of skilled professionals increased because of the ethnic war

which intensified in the early 1980s. • But government ending the 30-year conflict, raised hopes of an economic

revival which attract Sri Lankan migrant professionals to either return or invest back in their country of birth to help with the recovery.

Impacts

• Negative effects on developing countries. • Resources of the developing countries drain to developed countries

through the brain drain. 9 e.g.-governments’ investment on education)

• Migration of intellectuals such as doctors ,engineers, scientists and experts

• affects the fields of health, education and development. Examples- Health - shortages of doctors in Sri Lanka, specially in rural areas Development - Lack of trained scientists and experts has affected

Science and scientific research and technology developments.