Brain drain is a global phenomenon, defined as the emigration of highly trained or qualified intellectuals from a particular country. As the other name — human capital flight — suggests, once young students leave a developing country for a developed one to gain skills and education, or when high-level researchers find better opportunities elsewhere, the home country is a big loser when it comes to big talent.
In recent years though, another process, the so-called “reverse brain drain,” has increased in pace. As a result of economic and political conjunctures in the world — such as the financial crisis in the West, compared with the positive growth in the East — skilled researchers increasingly return to their home countries. Moreover, many governments today offer programs with powerful incentives to encourage the return of scientists, engineers and other educated elite. Turkey includes itself among countries that have seen positive results from such initiatives. Fresh information shows that from 2007 to 2013, 209 researchers returned to Turkey, while 1,790 scholars came for research.
