Brain Drain in Pakistan (3 Articles covering all aspects)

Pakistan, like many other developing countries, has been struggling with the issue of
brain drain for decades. The term “brain drain” describes the phenomena of highly
educated and competent people leaving their home country in search of better chances
overseas, losing their country of vital talent and experience in the process. This has
been a major issue for Pakistan because the nation has been losing its best and
brightest minds to nations like the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and
Australia.

Pakistanis choose to emigrate for a variety of reasons. These causes have many facets
and are intricate. The main cause is Pakistan’s dearth of economic prospects. Many
people with advanced degrees find it difficult to land positions that suit their skill sets
and offer them a respectable salary. They are compelled to look abroad where they may
make more money and have better living conditions as a result. Political instability,
social unrest, and a lack of security are a group of reasons people leave Pakistan for. A
volatile and unpredictable climate has been created for both enterprises and scholars
due to frequent changes in government, corruption, and a lack of economic stability.

The effects of brain drain are extensive and negative. People with advanced educations
and skills frequently emigrate, taking with them their unique ideas, knowledge, and
skills. This has an effect on both the economy and the nation’s overall development. It
impedes the nation’s growth and advancement by robbing it of the capacity to innovate
and contend in the international market.

Furthermore, brain drain also has a negative impact on the country’s healthcare and
education systems. Pakistan is facing a shortage of doctors, nurses, and other
healthcare professionals, which is putting a strain on its healthcare system. Similarly,
the education system is suffering from a lack of skilled and experienced teachers,
resulting in poor-quality education for the country’s youth.

Another factor contributing to Pakistan’s brain drain is the absence of possibilities for
research and innovation. Several gifted people are prevented from pursuing their
research interests and making contributions to the scientific community due to the
country’s inadequate infrastructure and funds for research and development. This
frequently prompts them to look for chances abroad where they can engage in cutting
edge research and collaboration with other bright people.

On top of that, brain drain has wider societal implications as well. The loss of talented
individuals often creates a sense of disillusionment and hopelessness among those who
remain in the country. This, in turn, can lead to a lack of motivation and initiative, which
further perpetuates the cycle of underdevelopment and brain drain.

India and China have also long been a victim of the brain drain, with many of its
brightest minds leaving the country for better opportunities abroad. These nations are
examples of countries that have successfully countered the brain drain. With a number
of measures, including the founding of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and
Indian Institutes of Management, India has been able to successfully combat brain drain
(IIMs). Because of the excellent education and research opportunities they offer, these
institutes are capable of attracting and keeping outstanding people. China has
established a number of programs to curb the brain drain. Other nations have also put
policies and efforts into place to draw and keep bright people, including South Korea,
Japan, and Ireland.
To address the issue of brain drain, Pakistan needs to take a multi-pronged approach.
First and foremost, it needs to expand the economic opportunities available to highly
educated and competent people living in the nation. This can be done by promoting
entrepreneurship, inviting foreign investment, and fostering an environment that is
conducive to business. The emerging nations of China and India have put measures
into place to enhance their business conditions, making it more appealing for skilled
people to launch their own enterprises or join well-established corporations. India has
implemented several initiatives to support entrepreneurship, including start-up
incubators and funding opportunities. Pakistan should also establish similar initiatives to
support entrepreneurship and encourage talented individuals to stay and contribute to
the country’s economy.

Secondly, the government also needs to address the security concerns, political
turbulence, and social discontent that are propelling people away. This requires a
comprehensive strategy that involves improving the rule of law, promoting peace and
stability, and ensuring the safety of its citizens. Political stability has been emphasized
in China as an important aspect of maintaining highly educated people. In order to
foster a secure and peaceful environment for economic development, the Chinese
government has taken a firm stance against political turmoil and dissent. This has been
viewed as a strategy for encouraging highly educated people to remain in the nation
and contribute to its development.

Thirdly, in order to keep its talent, Pakistan must make investments in healthcare and
education. This involves improving the quality of education and healthcare services,
providing incentives for healthcare and education professionals, and creating a
conducive environment for research and innovation. Both India and China have
invested heavily in their education systems, particularly in the STEM fields, to provide
world-class education and research opportunities to talented individuals. Several
research institutions have also been established to attract top talent and provide
opportunities for research and development.
On the other hand, the Chinese government is aware that a strong and effective
healthcare system is also crucial for drawing in and keeping competent workers
because it offers a sense of security and a standard of living that are vital for people’s
well-being and the welfare of their families. The National Health and Family Planning
Commission, which was founded in 2013, is one of the major measures China has
implemented to enhance its healthcare system. This commission is in charge of
managing the nation’s healthcare system and fostering public health.

Finally, Pakistan needs to adopt policies that encourage emigrants to return to the
country. The Thousand Talents Plan offers financial incentives and research
opportunities to entice top people to return to China. This is achieved by creating
attractive job opportunities, providing incentives for investment, and promoting the
country’s strengths and opportunities.

In conclusion, the grave problem of Pakistan’s brain drain is impeding its growth and
development. By learning from examples of neighboring states and implementing
similar policies and initiatives, Pakistan can counter the brain drain and retain talented
individuals to contribute to the country’s development. The government must act quickly
to address this problem by fostering economic opportunity, addressing political unrest
and security concerns, making investments in healthcare and education, and
establishing policies that encourage emigrants to come home. This would enable
Pakistan to maintain its talent, innovate, and compete in the international market, as
well as realize its full potential as a nation.
Article 2

The phenomenon of highly educated and skilled professionals moving from their home
country to another country in search of better employment opportunities, living
conditions, and other benefits is known as brain drain. This phenomenon presents
several difficulties, including a sizable loss of human capital, a decline in the innovation
and productivity of the source nation, and a potential imbalance in the distribution of
talent globally.
Brain drain has become a major issue for many developing nations, as it results in the
loss of talented people who could make significant contributions to the economic and
social development of their home nations. Since a large number of highly skilled
professionals have left Pakistan in search of better employment opportunities, the
nation has struggled with a serious brain drain issue.

Causes of Brain Drain

The brain drain is caused by a number of factors. The absence of employment options
in the country of origin is the main factor. It can be difficult for many highly qualified
professionals to find employment that matches their education and experience, which
causes them to look for opportunities elsewhere. Due to low pay and unfavorable
working conditions in some countries, professionals may also struggle to support their
families. Instability in politics, poor infrastructure, and limited access to technology can
all be contributing factors.

The same is true for Pakistan, where one of the main reasons for the brain drain is a

lack of economic opportunities. Many highly qualified professionals, such as doctors,

engineers, and IT experts, are compelled to look for opportunities abroad because they
cannot locate domestic jobs that match their skill sets. Similarly, long-standing political
unrest in Pakistan has been characterized by frequent administration changes and a
pattern of military takeovers.
Simultaneously, through their financial contributions, the diaspora communities—
which include expatriates, overseas Pakistanis, and Pakistani Americans—have a
significant impact on Pakistan’s economy. Whereas, doctors, engineers, scientists, and
business owners are just a few of the highly qualified professionals living in the
Pakistani diaspora. These professionals can help Pakistan develop by sharing their
skills and knowledge because they have worked in developed nations where they have
gained invaluable experience and knowledge.
Implications of Brain Drain
There are several detrimental effects of brain drain on developing nations. First, it leads
to a shortage of highly skilled professionals, making it challenging to develop critical
sectors such as healthcare, education, and technology. An additional effect is a
decrease in investment in education and training. Secondly, governments invest a lot of
money in professional development and education, and when these people leave the
workforce, that investment is lost. Third, a reduction in innovation, research, and
development may result from brain drain. It can also worsen economic inequality
because most highly skilled and educated individuals can afford to emigrate.

Moreover, brain drain has serious repercussions for the country of origin. Highly skilled
individuals frequently leave the country, resulting in a sizable loss of human capital that
can harm the nation’s economic development. Sectors like healthcare, education, and
research—which demand highly skilled personnel—feel the impact of this loss most
acutely. Furthermore weakening the nation’s economy is the possibility of brain drain
causing a general decline in productivity and innovation. Additionally, the exodus of
talented people can make already-existing social and economic disparities worse by
depriving the country’s marginalized communities of qualified professionals who can
assist in meeting their needs.

Possible Solutions for Brain Drain

The issue of brain drain has been addressed with a number of solutions. In-country
wage increases and better working conditions are two potential solutions. This may
attract highly qualified professionals and persuade them to remain and support the
growth of their nation. Making investments in vital industries like healthcare, education,
and technology is an additional solution. Whereas, governments can foster an
environment where professionals are more likely to stay and contribute to the growth of
their nation by offering more employment opportunities and better infrastructure. A
further way to entice professionals to stay in the country is by providing incentives like
tax breaks and housing subsidies.

However, Pakistan must create a comprehensive strategy to address this issue that
aims to retain its skilled workforce and draw in foreign investment. To provide training
opportunities and help Pakistanis develop industry-specific skills, one potential solution
is to form partnerships with foreign institutions. With this strategy, education, and
training can be of higher quality, increasing the employability of Pakistan’s skilled labor
force.

Pakistan should also concentrate on improving the environment in which companies

can operate. The government should offer incentives to foreign investors to set up their
businesses in Pakistan, which will create more job opportunities for the local workforce.
To create a stable and conducive environment for businesses to operate, the
government should prioritize investments in vital sectors like infrastructure, healthcare,
and education.

Raising the standard of living in Pakistan is another way to draw and keep skilled
workers. This can be done by funding social welfare programs, enhancing the standard
of healthcare, and making sure that people live in a safe and secure environment. With
this strategy, Pakistan’s citizens and the wider world may have a more favorable
impression of the country.

Conclusion
The development of many developing nations is seriously threatened by brain drain.
Some of the main reasons include a lack of job opportunities, low pay, unfavorable
working conditions, poor infrastructure, limited access to technology, and political
unrest. The detrimental effects of brain drain include a lack of highly skilled workers, a
reduction in investments in education and training, a decline in innovation, research,
and development, and a worsening of economic inequality.
However, there are potential solutions to these problems, such as enhancing working
conditions and raising salaries, investing in important industries, and providing
incentives like tax breaks and housing subsidies. Governments can improve the
environment for professionals to stay and contribute to the growth of their nation by
putting these solutions into practice, which will ultimately result in more economic and
social advancement.

Last but not least, the loss of talent from Pakistan is a serious issue that hinders the
development and growth of the economy in that nation. The main causes of this trend
are the state of the global economy, unstable political conditions, and a weak
educational system. By investing in education and training, fostering a more welcoming
environment for businesses, and raising the general standard of living of its people,
Pakistan can, however, position itself to attract and retain skilled workers in a fiercely
competitive global marketplace.

Article 3

The term "brain drain" designates the international transfer

of resources in the form of human capital i.e., the migration
of relatively highly educated individuals from the developing
to developed countries.

This phenomenon, in the terminology of development economics

refers to the loss of high quality manpower, which was once
productively employed in the native country. The last decade has seen
an increase in the international mobility of highly skilled,
talented individuals in response to the expansion of the knowledge
economy accompanying globalization.

This international movement of human capital can be identified, in

practice, as the movement of scientists, doctors, educationists,
engineers, executives, and other professionals across frontiers. These
are people with special talents, high skills and specialized knowledge.

The irony of international migration today is that many people who

migrate legally from poor to richer lands are the ones that the Third
World Countries can least afford to lose: the highly educated and
skilled. Since the great majority of these migrants move on a
permanent basis, this perverse brain drain not only represents loss of
valuable human resources but could prove to be a serious constraint
on the future economic progress of Third World nations.

Expenditure on education in Pakistan and other developed and

developing countries: Research undertaken both in developed and
developing countries reveals that for an increase in output, the quality
of labour is more important than the quantity. A clear picture emerged
if one looks at the experience of different countries. No country with
educated and technically trained human resource is poor and no
country with a predominantly illiterate, untrained human resource is
rich.

In general the quality of human resource is much more critical in

economic development than the availability of natural resources.
Japan is a country which has almost no mineral or energy resources
but has high economic productivity because of highly literate, trained
and an efficient workforce. Rapid progress of the East Asian countries
is largely attributed to their excellent system of education.

Unfortunately, in Pakistan we have not paid due attention to the

general education of the masses and as a result, the country is far
behind than others of the region in education sector. According to
official sources, the current literacy rate in Pakistan is 51.6 per cent
where female literacy rate is 39 per cent while that of male is 64. It
means that two women out of every three and one man out of every
three men are illiterate.

The following table shows the national actual expenditure on

education in Pakistan as a percentage of the GDP.

Table 1 reveals that the expenditure on education as percentage of the

GDP is much below than what it actually deserves. The GDP
percentage from 1998-99 onward was behind as compared to 1997-
98. This reflects how the education sector has been neglected.
 TABLE 1: NATIONAL ACTUAL EXPENDITURE ON

EDUCATION AS A PERCENTAGE OF GDP (Rs IN MILLION)

Items 1997-98 1998-99 1999- 2000- 2001-2002

2000 2001
 Actual 49083 49407 54002 57053 66022
Expenditure

% of GDP 1.83 1.68 1.71 1.66 1.8

Source: Government of Pakistan

2004

Table 2 shows the comparison of education expenditure with other

countries brings forward a picture which exhibits the importance of
this sector in Pakistan. It reveals that our expenditure on education is
the second lowest and it is amazing to note that we are far behind in
expenditure on education as compared to the countries that are not
much economically sound i.e., Bangladesh and Nepal .

TABLE 2: PUBLIC EXPENDIUTRE ON EDUCATION AS

PERCENTAGE OF 2001-2002 GDP

COUNTRY PUBLIC EXPENDIUTRE ON EDUCATION

Argentina 4.6

Bangladesh 2.3

Canada 5.2

China 2.2

India 4.1

Nepal 3.4
 Pakistan 1.8

South Korea 3.6

Sri Lanka 1.3

UK 4.4

Source: World
Bank

The present government has realized the importance of education and

consequently the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has
been established with a view to guiding higher education policy and
assisting universities and degree awarding institutes in the pursuit of
quality education at the seat of higher learning, both public and
private.

Its objective is to work with the academic community for qualitative

and quantitative improvement of higher education and to aid in the
socio-economic development of Pakistan. Besides, the Education
Sector Reforms (ESR) are designed with a view to increasing access,
enhancing equity and improving quality at all levels of education.

Developed countries immigration policies: In order to accumulate

human capital, many industrialized countries are aiming to attract
highly skilled immigrants. Among them are the United States, the
United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong
and Australia. The policies that encourage such movement target
highly trained science and technology personnel, particularly from
developing countries.

These trends are likely to have been confirmed in the 1990s in the face
of the increasingly "quality-selective" immigration policies introduced
in many OECD countries. Since 1984, Australia's immigration policy
had privileged skilled workers, with the candidates selected according
to their prospective "contribution to the Australian economy".
Canadian immigration policy follows along similar lines, resulting in
an increasing share of highly educated people among the immigrants
selected; for example, in 1997, 50,000 professional specialists and
entrepreneurs immigrated to Canada throughout the world with
75,000 additional family members, representing 58 per cent of the
total immigration.

In the US, since the Immigration Act of 1990 - followed by the

American Competitiveness and Work Force Improvement Act of 1998
-, the emphasis has been on the selection of highly skilled workers
through a system of quotas favouring candidates with academic
degrees and/or specific professional skills. For the latter category, the
annual number of visas issued for highly skilled professionals (H-1B
visas) increased from 48,000 in 1989 to 116,000 in 1999, the totality
of this increase being due to immigration from developing countries,
especially India.

Situation in Pakistan: At present, Pakistan is also facing the problem

of brain drain. The migration of professionals to foreign countries
such as the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand has increased
considerably in recent years. Young, educated, and skilled Pakistanis,
particularly engineers, doctors, IT experts, scientists and other
professionals have either left the country or are planning to do so. This
situation hinders the government from achieving its
proposed goals. To date, no serious efforts have been made to stop this
disastrous brain drain.

According to IMF, the migration rate (from Pakistan to the OECD

countries) of individuals with a tertiary education is more than seven
per cent, while for India it is about 2.7 per cent; these figures,
however, fail to take into account the sizable flow of professionals from
the subcontinent to Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the United
Arab Emirates and therefore neglect an important component of the
brain drain from the relevant source countries. The estimates show
that there is an overall tendency for migration rates to be higher for
highly educated individuals

An important determinant of the international migration of scientists

and technology experts is the availability of resources to conduct
research and higher salary levels for researchers in recipient countries.
These are the things that facilitate the experimentation and creative
process. Unfortunately, the funds allocated for this purpose in
developing countries are very meagre, which often leads to the rusting
of intellect. In Pakistan annual average expenditure on education from
1997-98 to 2001-2002 has been 1.7 per cent of the GDP.
The available information shows huge disparities in the distribution of
resources for science and technology, between developed economies
and developing countries' GDPs. According to UNESCO (2001), the
developing countries that account for 78 per cent of world population
(and 39 per cent of world GDP) only contributed to 16 per cent of
global research and development (R&D) expenditure in 1996-97. In
contrast, the developed economies with 22 per cent of world
population account for some 84 per cent of global R&D expenditure.

The latest Gallup survey indicates that not only qualified professionals
and university graduates want to leave the country, but even semi-
skilled and unskilled workers want to migrate in search of better
prospects. About 62 per cent of the adults interviewed for the survey
expressed the desire to go abroad to work, while 38 per cent say that
they would prefer to settle permanently outside the country. This
shows that many Pakistanis are gradually losing faith in the country's
economic future.

According to a study the ratio of researchers and scientists, who opted

for working in foreign companies, is higher in the research wing and
breading and genetics institutions of the agriculture department. In
some departments of agriculture research institutes,
over 30 per cent seats are vacant, mainly due to the fact that the
researchers left the country for better opportunities. And, due to ban
on recruitments, since 1993, these vacancies could not be filled.

Remittances vs brain drain: No doubt that we are getting foreign

remittances as a result of brain drain. But could we think that the
money they send could be a better substitute in exchange of the
services what they are extending for others and becoming a source of
their rapid economic, scientific and technological development. If
proper infrastructure is provided to them within the country, Pakistan
could earn manifold than the money is received as foreign
remittances.

Factors responsible: Economic factor, however, is not the sole factor

involved in brain drain. There are also other factors that contribute to
the migration of skilled people to developed countries from developing
nations. One of the important factors behind the acceleration of brain
drain is low income at home. Skilled and educated people expect some
kind of reward. But when they get no reward for their hard work and
labour, they feel disappointed and frustrated.

The value placed for a scientist with an advanced level degree in

Pakistan is Grade 17, with a salary that is even insufficient to meet the
basic requirements of a family. Grabbing the opportunity, the
advanced countries take away these people by offering them lucrative
incentives.

In addition to low economic incentive, promotion process in

developing countries is also very slow. It takes them several years to
get promotions. Apart from that, mutilation of merit is a routine
feature. Non-deserving people bypass the deserving ones. All the
frustrated scientists and skilled people feel compelled to leave the
native country in search of better opportunities.

In Pakistan's case, professionals who are going abroad are mostly

government servants and belong to the scientific community. These
are the people who complain about the general attitude of society
towards professionals, particularly scientists.

An important determinant of the international migration of scientists

and technology experts is the availability of resources to conduct
research and higher salary levels for researchers in recipient countries.
These are the things that facilitate the experimentation and creative
process. Unfortunately, the funds allocated for this purpose in
developing countries are very meagre, which often leads to the rusting
of intellect. In Pakistan annual average expenditure on education from
1997-98 to 2001-2002 has been 1.7 per cent of the GDP.
The available information shows huge disparities in the distribution of
resources for science and technology, between developed economies
and developing countries' GDPs. According to UNESCO (2001), the
developing countries that account for 78 per cent of world population
(and 39 per cent of world GDP) only contributed to 16 per cent of
global research and development (R&D) expenditure in 1996-97. In
contrast, the developed economies with 22 per cent of world
population account for some 84 per cent of global R&D expenditure.

One of the major causes of brain drain is the growing frustration

among the youth and the non-availability of opportunities in the
existing social set-up.

Implications: The implications of the brain drain phenomenon are

disastrous. It entails loss of strategic manpower from key positions. An
outflow of such manpower creates many dislocations. It seriously
affects skill formation and involves the loss of money invested in
education and training. The loss of strategic manpower affects
education, research & training, infrastructure building, creative talent,
present and future technology and the entire intellectual milieu of a
country and creates a growth retarding backwash effect.

Trained and skilled people constitute a very scarce resource for poor
countries. Losing them sets development back in these countries. In
fact, many countries, having lost their best brains to the industrial
world, have had to import expensive consultants from abroad. Such a
cycle of events sometimes represents a double loss. An economy
spends its precious resources to educate and train its people. Losing
them to developed countries is a form of reverse foreign assistance,
from resource-poor to resource-rich countries.

Another important implication of the brain drain is that investment in

education in a developing country may not lead to faster economic
growth if a large number of its highly educated people leave the
country. Also, efforts to reduce specific skill shortages through
improved educational opportunities may be largely futile unless
measures are taken to offset existing incentives for highly educated
people to emigrate.

Remedies: If Pakistan is serious about stemming its alarming brain

drain, it must provide:

1. Better job opportunities that properly remunerate workers based on

their skills and talents.

2. Proper infrastructure be provided for research and development.

3. A system of merit be adopted, otherwise, it will continue to lose its

skilled labour to countries where benefits and opportunities are
plentiful.

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