Brain Circulation
November 29th, 2008
Submitted by: Morgan O’Hara
Please take a look at this beautifully written article, entitled India Calling. It talks of the allure of the motherland for young, Westernized Indians.
The “brain drain” trend has greatly benefited America. That the world’s brightest minds decide to coalesce within our borders has given this country a sustainable competitive advantage over other nations. We can argue that the rest of the world has benefited, in that the U.S. has dragged it along. But now, the rest of the world is picking up steam.
In the conclusion of the The Post American World, Zakaria claims that for America to preserve its leadership, it must continue to welcome the brightest minds from abroad, who in turn must aspire to succeed in this country. This is a virtuous cycle.
So what do you think of the brain circulatio’ trend? Will the world?s brightest minds no longer be so enticed by our roads paved with gold? And though this new trend may not solely benefit America, won’t it surely be good for the world? Maybe then they can drag us forwards; or is that already starting to happen? As Americans, we value our supremacy, geopolitically speaking. But isn’t the world better off , us included, if the playing field is more leveled?
Albeit a small sample size, of the students I met from Cal Poly’s Indian Association, only a few seemed willing to relocate to India. I get the impression that only the most intrepid souls will take the plunge and thrust themselves into a very chaotic country. And they will likely be the ones to reap the benefits. In turn, the ‘brain circulation’ trend will continue to increase.
Entry Filed under: China, India, Pre-Departure
15 Comments Add your own
1. Chris Carr | November 29th, 2008 at 4:12 am
See this related post by Dr. Singh from last year’s trip, Return to India: One Family’s Journey to America and Back.
2. Michael Mossman | December 1st, 2008 at 7:02 pm
It is great to see people rediscover their heritage and move back to there home country as Anand Giridharadas has done. This current “brain circulation” is in its infancy and we will see it progress over the coming years. I believe it is great for a person to be able to move between countries at their own pleasing to find a place that makes them happy. With some people moving back to India from America it helps create a stronger relationship and understanding between the two countries.
I do not think there will be a major departure of Indian-Americans moving to India in the coming years. There are approximately 2.8 million Indian-Americans currently living in America and I believe most of them will continue to live here for the rest of their lives. Living in America or India both has its pros and cons. America offers a great transportation and utility infrastructure that many of us take for granted; India has always been struggling to build a decent infrastructure. This is just one example of why America might be more appealing, but India has some major benefits as well.
In the coming decades, I believe there will be a steady decrease of immigrants immigrating to America from developing economic countries like China and India. As people move between countries it will be a benefit because there will be a better understanding of each others culture.
3. Morgan O'Hara | December 29th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
If you’re interested, check out this NY Times video called ‘Reverse Brain Drain.’ It talks about how Chinese financial institutions are swooping up laid off Wall Street workers. Any thoughts?
Click HERE to watch the video.
4. Emily Schaapveld | December 29th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
Whether India’s brightest minds choose to live in America or their homeland, the competition will force the U.S. to strengthen its education system. If they stay, Americans will be forced to obtain a superior education in order to compete with the highly intelligent Indians. If Indians choose to return or remain in their homeland, Americans must produce a highly intelligent workforce that can keep the U.S economy at the top. Either way, I think the bright minds of India are challenging Americans to become the best through education.
5. Erika Bylund | January 20th, 2010 at 10:08 am
I haven’t heard of this brain circulation concept until this article. It really put a new perspective on the subject. I was surprised at the relatively high number or foreign students here in the OCOB program (not just from India). I think it testifies to the quality and reputation of American schools abroad.
Personally, I feel that it’s great that our institutions can serve foreign and domestic students. It’s a great benefit both ways. I can’t tell you how much I’ve learned from some of my German, Indian, and Chinese classmates. Having their first-hand perspectives in classroom discussions is fantastic because I don’t have to rely on what I’ve read in books or seen on TV. It also builds a sense of familiarity with how things might be abroad.
At the same time, foreign students get he same inter-cultural experience and the benefits of U.S. style education. Whether they decide to stay here in the U.S. or work abroad, everyone benefits when knowledge is spread.
The ways of business are becoming more standardized internationally, and the “brain-circulation” is a good explanation for that. Whether it is good or bad depends on whether you view standardization to be a good or a bad thing. Regardless, it certainly makes things easier.
6. Phil Hamer | February 7th, 2010 at 10:37 pm
I’ve read several articles on the brain drain phenomena and the reversal in recent years. It seems to me like it is a matter of preference and fortunately these people now have options. Some people after living years in America experience culture shock on their return to India and decide they are too Americanized to stay, whereas some come to America waiting for the day when they can return home and once they do their lives are much happier.
At any rate, brain circulation is good thing for all of us, especially in the business and education world, if it forces the exchange of new ideas, healthy competition, and more ways to work.
7. John Barry | February 27th, 2010 at 1:48 am
We’ve been very fortunate to experience this phenomena here in the U.S. since the immigrant population that made us so properous in yester-years, seemed to be traded in for immigrants with very low education levels and qualifications. Unfortunately I don’t foresee this trend continuing for much longer. Now that much of the world’s middle class populations is increasing, ours is doing the exact opposite. As many emerging nations are gaining momentum and experiencing growth superior to ours, it is much more likely that the talent in those countries will choose to seek success in their home country rather than venture overseas to take a gamble with payoffs possibly inferior to those at home. Much of the Brazilian community in Southern California actually started to move back to Brazil in numbers much greater than in years past. Turns out that homesickness is exacerbated when you have little professional success to show for your personal sacrifices.
8. Danielle Steussy | February 28th, 2010 at 10:11 am
Since America is giving all these countries the opportunity to prosper and grow, it won’t be too long before people start to move back to their home countries. We might even see Americans immigrating to other countries in the near future for career opportunities.
I don’t necessarily think that the “brain drain” gives the United States a sustainable competitive advantage because the playing field is being leveled out. However, it’s certainly not a bad situation for the United States to be in. For one, it gives the United States a good kick in the rear to start improving the domestic educational system to create an American workforce worthy of competing with those of other countries. Secondly, overall, I could see this seriously impacting our relationships with other countries, and very much in a positive way. The more that lines are blurred between countries and the more unified the global economy can become.
9. Michael Minasian | March 10th, 2010 at 9:02 am
The top talent will continue to come to America as long as they see an opportunity for prosperity. The problem is that our current situation is not so bright anymore. Given our downtrodden economy, I have to think that even the “chaotic” Indian economy is looking more and more enticing.
The biggest issue is the anti-business practices that our country has decided is hope for the future. If our country continues to stifle growth with regulation and taxation, the emerging economies which have much less of these things, and bigger opportunities for large scale returns, will have the unintended consequence of draining not only our business, but the talent that we have acquired.
10. Frederick Peemoeller | March 12th, 2010 at 5:01 pm
9/11 brought this country together and united us to fight the war on terror. It seemed like a good idea to make immigration rules more stringent, but obviously there are repercussions. The US needs to rescind its strict immigration policies with the great minds of other countries to ensure that we continue to keep these “brains” in the country. We have booming technological companies such as Apple, Google, Research in Motion, and Microsoft that need these brains to continue to have success. This shows that there still is gold to be had in America, we just need to make it easier for others to obtain it.
11. Jordan Wente | March 14th, 2010 at 12:18 pm
I think the brain circulation trend is great! I see it as global networking in a sense. The world is becoming flatter and pretty soon I think we can expect to see more people returning to their homeland. This is not necessarily a negative phenomenon. I think it is good for the rest of the world and potentially beneficial for the US as well.
The diversity welcomed into our schools gives us great experience in how to interact with people from various countries. As the world continues to become flat we will need all the experience we can get on building a cooperative and mutually beneficial relationship with individuals from foreign countries. Building and maintaining these relationships is the only way I see possible for American students to continue to be successful in the global economy. I think Zakaria may be right that the US needs to attract the brightest minds, who in turn succeed in our country. However, Its important to consider for every person returning to their home land there is a million more who would jump at the opportunity for an American education and the American dream.
I think we are also missing a valuable opportunity. Why can’t the US participate in brain circulation trend? The result would likely bring a diverse perspective and innovative ideas back to the United States. There is something to learn from each one of these fast developing countries. Isn’t that the reason for our trip to India? Why shouldn’t we embrace this trend of brain circulation and use it to our advantage? The world is changing, if we don’t dive in and move forward we will just be left in the dust.
12. Michael Harroch | March 18th, 2010 at 5:27 pm
Brain circulation is always great when on the receiving end. However, it can be a great handicap for the “brain exporting” countries. The same phenomenon exists in France and is considered by both society and the government as a serious problem. France produces some of the greatest mathematicians and scientists in the world. However, very few of them stay in France, while most move to the United States. They cannot be blamed as salaries and funding for research are significantly larger in the United States. This also creates a vicious circle: the brightest minds immigrate, removing potential competitive advantages through innovation for French companies. In turn, they are less profitable and are thus unable to offer competitive salaries.
13. Leslie Mann | March 18th, 2010 at 8:52 pm
The world is better off if the playing field is more leveled and, as Zakaria notes in The Post American World, this is already happening. If America does not respond properly, it will be left in China and India’s dust. As the article and the video of reverse brain drain show, China and India are seeing an influx of native-born coming back to live and work because they view their home countries as offering more opportunity than America can. The ‘land of opportunity’ seems to be shifting to other side of the world. This is not necessarily a bad thing but one that will force America to step up, especially with our education system. I can’t help but note the difference in our grad students with those in India during the video teleconference with students from MET. Some of our graduate candidates have already experience lay-offs and seemed almost lucky to find a solid job when they graduate, especially at this time, but in India, many of the students had no fear for their future. They were confident there would be plenty of opportunity for them after graduation, and that opportunity was not in America, but right in their own backyard.
14. Jeff | March 19th, 2010 at 12:33 pm
So it seems from the comments that I’ve read in response to this blog, is that people will go to where there’s an opportunity. This is reasonable. If you have a profession that can give you a certain standard of living in one country, and another country can give you a higher standard of living and greater wealth, why wouldn’t you go?
India in particular is courting professionals. If you are of Indian origin, you can get a visa for life. They’re trying to make it easy. I’m sure that not all Indians that go back to india will want to stay, I’m also sure many of them will…hence the stories related here.
I think this points to the challenge ahead of us in the US. We have to address the reason why people are going back. Opportunity…or lack thereof. We have to improve the chance of success for by improving our economy. We have to invest and help industries that have a future. Green Power, Green Technology like LED’s, Mass Transit, Infrastructure. The framework has exist to improve the economy. We’ve been too long resting on our laurels.
15. Chris Phippen | March 19th, 2010 at 3:20 pm
Leslie’s post about America needing to step up its game is so very true. Also, a level field would be a great thing to have because it would make everyone strive a little bit higher to meet, if not surpass, their goals. Having an over-all world-wide higher level of education and advancement would create a philosophical event of ‘the greater good.’ The world would be better off if say, India, China, and the US were equals, than if one were to completely top out the other in advancements and leaving the rest far, far behind.
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