Brain Gain Network: A proposal e-govemance model to
convert the brain drain into brain gain
Md. Muntasir Mamun Joarder
Software Engineer, Dohatec New Media,
House # 60, Road SA, Dhanmondi WA, Dhaka-1209. Bangladesh
Email: svo97-12@hotmail.com
Abstract: It is observed that, the scientisfs. engineers and
the highly educated and qualified scholars of the
developing countries are migrating in the developed
countries from their motherland. They appear as human
resources educated. trained through profissional pracfice
and employed in much better conditions thon those the
country af their origin could have provided to them. If
such a counfry were able to use these resources largely
shaped through others investments. it would gain a lor. In
this paper an e-governance model is presented to conven
fhis brain drain info gain by tracking and maintaining
these diversified brains of a developing country so that the
migrated scholars get the oppor!uni@ to serve their
motherland remaining in remote from their counrry of
origin. A governance palicy is also proposed, in this paper,
so that the government of a L D C (Low Developed
Country) can successfully and efficiently maintain this
netkwork to achieve maximum gain.
Keywordp: Brain drain. e-government. brain gain network
1. INTRODUCTION
The SESTAT database of the National Science
Foundation (NSF) shows that in 1995, 1.434 million
people (12%) out of the 12 million people who have
science and engineering degrees or who work in science
and engineering occupations in the U.S.A., are of foreign
origin[l]. Over 72% of these were originally born in a
developing country. When looking at the level of
qualifications, it appears. that the higher the diploma the
bigger -the propoltion of the foreign-born population[ I].
These figures focus one thing that the highly educated
scholars of developing countries are consuming their
brains for developed countries. And in most of the cases
they are not renvning back to their motherland. They have
often settled abroad and built their professional as well as
their personal life there. If such a low developed country
were able to use these brains IargeJy shaped through
others’ investments, it would then gain a lot. There are two
ways to implement the brain gain: either through the ntum
of thi expatriates to the country of origin or through their
remote mobilization and association to its development.
The main objective focused throughout this paper is to
create the links through which they could effectively and
productively be connected to its development, without any
physical temporary or permanent r e m . An e-governance
model is proposed in this paper to maintain the links
among these brains effectively so that they can participate
and contribute easily for their motherland.
The remaining portion of this paper is organized in the
following way. In section 2. the basics of the brain drain
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are described. Here in this section definition, causes ~
problems etc of brain drain are described. Section 3
describes the model and the govemance policy of
proposed brain gain network in detail. In section 4 the
positive effects of the proposed brain gain network are
described.
2. BRAIN DRAIN
2.1. What is brain drsin ?
Brain drain is the important species of the entire
genus of brain migration from LDCs (Low Developed
Countries). The term “Brain Drain” is a loaded and
pejorative, suggestive of loss of vital resources, without
compensation (Adaars, 1968). It is one way permanent
migration of skilled-people mostly from LDCs to DCs. In
easy words, brain drain is the process of intellectual or
professional resource of a country through immigration.
2.2. Causes of brain drain
The causes:of brain drain are oflen seen in a bi-
polar model of “@lis" exerted by the immigration
countries and “push” exerted factors operating in the
emigration countries, in which differentials between the
two determine the docision of the individual who migrates.
The pushes are depressing characteristics in the country of
the origin, which produces emigration. O n the other hand,
pull factors are the.’attracting feaNres in the country of
destination, which induce immigration. The push-pull
approach can give an important insight into the analysis of
brain migration [Z].Some of the important push and pull
factors (as listed in Economics of Brain Migration’ by
Ghosh and Ghosh, 1982). involved in brain migration
from LDCs are given below:
Pushfactors:
1) Under employment,
2 ) Economic under development;
3) Low wagdsalary,
4) political instability;
5 ) Over production and under utilization or HQM;
6) Lack of research and other facilities;
7) Lack of freedom;
8) Discrimination in appointment and promotion;
9) Poor working facilities; .
IO) Lack of scientific tradition and culture;
1 I) Unsuitable institution;
12) Desire for a better urban life;
13) Desire for higher qualification and recognition;
14) Better career expectation;
Proceedings IEEE INMIC 2003
I S ) Lack of satisfactory working conditions,
Pullfactors:
I ) Better economic prospects;
2) Higher salary and income;
3 ) Better level of living and way of life;
4 ) Bener research facilities;
5 ) Modem educational system and bener opportunity for
higher qualifications:
6) Prestige of foreign training;
7) Intellectual freedom.
8) Better working condition and better employment
opportunities;
9) Relative political stability;
IO) Presence of a rich, scientific and cultural tradition;
1 I ) Attraction of urban centres;
12) Availability of experiencelsupponing staff;
13) Frequent chances o f a lucky break in life;
14) Technological gap;
15) Allocation of substantial funds for research.
2.3. Problems for brain drain
The governments of LDCs expends lots of their
money for education and training purpose. They take
several initiatives to make their generation educated and
skilled. People of these countries take education and
training and prepare themselves as skilled personnel.
These skilled persons migrate to another developed
country in search for better life. They finally become
permanent citizen of those developed countries and
consumes their brain and skill for the betterment of those
countries. So finally all the initiatives taken by the
govemment become fruitless. Thus for the lack of
management lots of LDCs are paying this loss. These
govemments prepare their people as skilled but in the long
tun these skilled people are seen of no work for their
motherland.
2.4. Probability in reducing brain drain
The probability to reduce skilled migration is
more or less impossible. There are several causes for that.
Most of the points are provided as “push-pull” factors in
section 1.l.b. So it is not possible to totally stop the
migration of scholars from LDCs to DCs. The DCs also
require the brains from LDCs. Becaues the companies of
DCs have to pay more wages to their citizens than that to
the foreign (migrated) workers. But from the viewpoint of
LDCs these low wage carry huge currency. So the
employer and the employee both remain satisfied. This is
one of the major reasons that makes it impossible to stop
the skilled migration from the LDCs to the DCs.
3. BRAIN GAIN NETWORK
A country whose main resource is the human
resource, faces brain drain [3]. The main theme behind this
proposed brain gain network is to trace and to make links
Proceedings IEEE INMlC 2003
among the migrated brains so that they may contribute for
the betterment of their country of origin. The goal of this
network is to make a common place of migrated scholars
so that they may carry benefit for their govemment. These
migrated scholars will find a common place to gather.
They will be able to discuss on some constructive
planning, to arrange online meetings, conferences etc.
They also will be benefited through this gain network. One
can help other and can ask for help to others. They can
share their knowledge and experiences among them and
help their country providing valuable information,
proposals etc.
3.1. Governance policy of Brain Gain Network
Throughout this section I will try to clarify the
concept and policy to successfully maintain the gain
network.
1. The government ofLDC have to create a new sector
for the maintenance of Gain network.
2. There must be a office and a set of paid employees to
successfully maintain of the scholar database and to
do the related tasks inside the country. This may be
called the main domestic branch of the gain network.
3. The first and the main task for this office will be to
collect the full data of the scholars who are already
migrated and to maintain a database to hold these
records. This may be collected informing the
embassies of LDCs in DCs. It is assumed that most
of the migrated scholars can be tracked by this way.
These scholars will be informed about this
govemment initiative and will be provided their Gain
network unique IDS.
4. This gain network ofice have to set up a policy to
collect data of the outgoing scholars whether they are
going out for education or job. They are also be given
their personal network IDS.
5. This network will maintain a website as a common
gathering place. Through this website the registered
members will be able to log into and to update their
status. The gain network domestic office will be
responsible to provide the helping documents to the
network members for appropriately using that
website.
6. The domestic office will conduct a statistical research
and divide the total network in some effective work
zones. This will be the main work of this domestic
office.
The strategy of the research may be to collect
country wise migration statistics and then to divide
the work zones analyzing that statistical report. While
creating zones some factors like communication
among the zone members, number of scholars in that
zone etc must be considered
7. Then this office have to assign registered members
into their nearest zone and let them be informed. If in
the future any member shift hidher place he may
have to be re-assigned in another zone by the
administrators.
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8. The office will have to now develop two planning
committees. that is the governing bodies. One will be
for the domestic office and another will for remote
scholars. I am discussing only the nature of the
activities of the remote planning committee. This
planning committee will be consisted of some posts:
President, Zone Co-ordinator, Zonal President and
zone members.
President : When govemment of LDC will take any
development initiative "President" of the gain
network will be informed. Heishe will be requested
from the domestic office (actually from the
govemment) to submit a report within some due time
analyzing the problem so that the final plan be a rigid
one. President will inform the zone Co-ordinator and
request hidher to submit a summary report
consulting with the zonal presidents. On the other
hand, any proposal from the zone co-ordinator will
also be submitted to the domestic office by the
president. Chain of command is the major factor for
running gain network successfully.
Zone CO-Ordinator: The brain gain network will be
divided into some zones. Each zone must have a
zonal president who will be selectedlelected among
the zone members. Zone co-ordinator will be the
controller of all the zonal presidents. Zone co-
ordinator will be liable to convey the order from the
network president to the zonal presidents. Zone Co-
ordinator will collect the final reports from the zonal
presidents, compile them. prepare the summary
reportlsolution and submit that to the president. On
the other hand, he/she will also submit any
development proposal from any zonal president to
the network president.
1
'1
Zanc to-Ordinator
Figure I : Organizational Communication Chart
ZonaI Presiden/: Zonal president will pfay the main
role to utilize hidher zone members to discuss the
problem and to prepare a possible solution report and
submit it to the zone co-ordinator. He may arrange
426
meeting, conduct short research on any
project/problem. In one sentence, he will
communicate and discuss with his members, come to
a final conclusion, prepare a documentation and
submit that to zone Co-ordinator. Any proposal, any
desire for contribution from any individual member
will be known to zonal president. If this proposal be
an effective one zone co-ordinator will request the
president to propose that to the govemment.
Zone Member: Zone member is a unit of the brain
gain network.
3.1. Plus points of Gain network over the LDCs
1. Communication : Communication and tracking
is the main advantage of the brain gain network.
Through this network the govemment will get
the actual figure and the status for her scholars in
abroad. Through this network there will create a
straight communication between the
governments of LDCs and their migrated
scholars.
2. Conrribution : By this network the migrated
scholars of LDCs will get the opportunity to
contribute for their country. They may desire to
do something positive for their country by giving
donation, technology and information.
3. Investment :There may be a lot of scholars of
LDCs who are in several good companies with
good reputation, who can request those
companies to invest in their country of origin. If
they have any desire to do something they will
find the actual place to present their proposals.
4. Technolam' Tran$er : Government of LDC
may he informed about the current technology
through gain network. And thus can incorporate
those technologies in their country.
5. Accuracy : As the government will take
decisions from a bunch of scholars while
incorporating any major development so the
accuracy in planning will be high.
6. Knowledge share: Sharing of knowledge will be
the main advantage through this network.
Covemment and the local citizens will get
advanced information. This will help the nation
to develop remaining synchronized with the
current world. Thus the gain network will play
role in development by reducing the digital gap.
7. Patriotism : This network will help forming
patriotism inside the migrated scholars.
4.CONCLUSION
Thus the diversified gain network can be a great initiative
to successfully utilize the migrated brains of LDCs. In one
sense, it may be said that,,the more the skilled persons will
be in the DCs the more will be the country resources in
abroad and the country will be benefited. Thus the gain
Proceedings IEEE INMlC 2003
I
network will be a focus point to reduce the digital gap
between the LDCs and the DCs.
REFERENCES
[ I ] Jean-Baptisre Meyer and Mercy Brown. "Scienfi/ic
DiasporaxA New Approach lo the Brain Drain",
Prepared for the World Conference on Science
UNESCO. ICSU Budapest, Hungary, 26 June-l July
Proceedings IEEE INMIC 2003
1999, http:ilwww.unesco.orglmostlmeyer.htm
121 Study of concepfs and causes of Brain Drain -A UN
'I
Reporl ",http:Nshikshanic.nic.in/cdSOyearsl~ST/H3
18TH301O2.htm
131 Karim Kawar,Chairman,lnformationTechnology
Association ,Jordan. " h u eNorex",
http:/lwww.dse.de/eficVkawar.htm
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