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The Impact of Transitional Changes on the Scientists' Drain
Branka Golub
Sažetak
External migrations of scientists have always existed, however, scientists’ mobility, in the
sense of brain drain or brain gain, began in Europe only at the end of the 19th century. It
was then that, national economies were formed at a level where human brain power (intellect,
capacity, knowledge) started to be recognized as valuable in the race for progress and
wealth. Croatia experienced the problem of brain drain of its highly educated population
and of scientists in particular, during the past decades, while it was still part of the former
Yugoslavia. Today, when it has become a new member of the international community,
Croatia experiences the problem even more intensely. Social turbulence, caused by the
transformation of the socialist system into a free market society and a multiparty democracy,
intensified by the war outcome, have encouraged the scientists’ drain (as well as brain
drain) which now exceeds the tolerable limits for a country the size of Croatia and one at
its developmental level.
The inherited characteristics of national scientific system (poverty, extensiveness, egalitarianism,
autarchy) are undergoing a process of restructuring. An essential precondition for
qualitative change is to treat investment in science and education as capital investment and
not as a current expenditure. Such an attitude is the first step in creating a social environment
in which the initiation of economic and social development could change the social
position of Croatian science. An increase in funds and improved infrastructure allowing a
“technological leap” into the modern times (computer and communication networking
equipment) would enable Croatian science to be better connected to the global scientific
community and would reduce the need for (physical) departures into the world scientific
centres. International scientific cooperation is today, more than ever before, based on a dislocated
realization of scientific programmes and projects and it will eventually reduce the differences between the scientific centres and scientific periphery. Such a cooperation is also a precondition for the abolishment of brain drain as a historical feature of the 20th century.
Ključne riječi
society in transition; R&D human potential; brain waste; brain drain; scientist’s drain; Republic of Croatia
Hrčak ID:
119955
URI
Datum izdavanja:
11.12.1998.
Posjeta: 929 *