Mobility of PhD Students and Scientists

Abstract

The transnational dimension of culture, science, and technology is constantly growing all over the world. Mobility of high-skilled personnel encompasses PhD students, PhD graduates, and scientists from when they leave their own country to study and work abroad. Mobility can be organized through a variety of programs and schemes that help individuals find the most suitable opportunities for them, that is, the right point in time. Whether it is due to the right point in time in their study process or career to move, or the incentives, or facilities, they can benefit from such a move. Mobility, in its form of brain drain, can produce negative effects on countries, institutions, and people. Positive benefits, however, can also be found. A precise and complete quantitative analysis of flows of PhD students and scientists is far from being attained. There are multiple difficulties in tracking this kind of highly mobile people. Some attempts, however, have been made in order to figure out the main trends and analyze the main reasons that induce mobility.