BRAIN DRAIN

Brain Drain

Literature review

Azamat K. Mukashbayev ID: 20101963

KIMEP University

Literature review

Brain drain is also known as “The human capital flight”. It can be simply defined as the mass emigration of technically skilled people from one country to another country. Many young specialists leave Kazakhstan to find a better life style of push-pull factors. The research investigates causes of the brain drain in Kazakhstan. Thus, a lot of studies have been conducted by research to figure out what actions should be taken to prevent this problem. In order to answer this question we must take through “push” and “pull” factors that drive people to leave their country. What is the role of program “Bolashak” in the problem of brain drain in Kazakhstan? Therefore, the main subjects of the research are to look over reasons why they do not stay there and to find the solutions to brain drain to implement the most successful methods in Kazakhstan.

Bokeyev, (2010) found out people who are migrated from Kazakhstan to Europe and to USA. Today, the main problem is that not only the representatives of the exact, but also experts far inaccurate professions began to leave Kazakhstan, to which economists, international affairs, public servants, politicians, entrepreneurs, belong etc. Brain Drain is the process when many specialized and skilled workers are moving from their country to other developed countries in order to find a good job. The term "brain drain" has emerged in the early 90s in the United Kingdom, when English journalists called the process of moving of mass English scientists to the USA. As usual the term “brain drain” is the negative thing; there is a tendency of changing the atitude to this term by terms “brain exchange”, and “brain mobility”. In the 90s the Russian Federation also faced the mass departure of its scientists abroad, especially to Western Europe and the United States. The situation in Russia is very similar to the realities of Kazakhstan. More than two million Kazakhs has moved to foreign countries in search of the better life. With experts in the field of natural sciences is clear – our physicists, chemists, biologists, mathematics have always been in demand in the developed countries. Bokeyev, (2010) investigates that today thousands of Kazakhs study, live and work abroad, and “Bolashakers” represent only a small fraction of them.

Bokeyev, (2010) writes in his article that the Government is able to support the young specialists here in Kazakhstan.

Akorda fear the leakage of “brains” (2012). Secretary of state of Kazakhstan Mukhtar Kul-Muhammed claims that the most qualified medical specialists can escape to foreign clinics, because of the "inadequacy" of their labor wages. Also, students who have been studying for five years abroad spend their money and time. The amount of salary that the Government is guaranties for them is lower than it must be. Rising taxes and price for everything while salary of workers keeping the same amount of money is not logical.

Quillin, (2006) writes about migration in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union in his Book “Migration and remittances” focuses on international migration. Migration has been an important part of the transition process in Europe and Central Asia (ECA) and continues to be relevant as these countries move beyond transition. The distinctive patterns of migration experienced since transition will continue to exert an important impact on growth and development in the near future of each country. Labor migration is likely to gain in importance in view of the aging of populations in Europe and some parts of the former Soviet Union. Migration in Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is large by international standards. Overall, several ECA countries are among the top 10 sending and receiving countries for migrants worldwide. Russia is the home to the second largest number of migrants in the world after the United States; Ukraine is the fourth after Germany; and Kazakhstan and Poland are respectively ninth and tenth. With the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, there was a rapid shift in the causes and patterns of migration. Fifteen percent or more of the populations of Armenia, Albania, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan migrated permanently, many of them are better-educated and younger elements of society.

While economic factors will continue to be important drivers of migration, demographic patterns will also play an increasingly important role. With the exception of Albania and Turkey, all Central and Eastern European countries are forecast to experience population declines. Among ECA countries, Turkey has been in the lead in using such remittance securitization; Remittance is a transfer of money by a foreign worker to his or her home country. Kazakhstan has also used this instrument to rise financing.

Kazakhstan, the main receiving country in Central Asia, has no agreements with its Central Asian neighbors except for an agreement with the Kyrgyz Republic on the labor activities. There are 35 million foreign-born residents in ECA countries, including 13 million in the Russian Federation, 7 million in Ukraine, 3 million in Kazakhstan, 3 million in Poland, and 1.5 million in Turkey. Furthermore, several ECA countries are among the top 10 sending and receiving countries of migrants worldwide. While the majority of migrants from Central Asia travel to the resource-rich CIS countries (particularly Russia and Kazakhstan) many move west in search of higher earnings, toward the European Union and Turkey. The largest flows that do not include Russia are flows from Kazakhstan to Germany and Ukraine to Germany in the period between 2000 and 2003. In an attempt to estimate the importance of brain drain in developing countries (Carrington & Detragiache, 1999), experts from the International Monetary Fund explained that their justification for excluding the former Soviet Union and Eastern European countries from their study was the lack of reliable data. Generally speaking, highly skilled migration from the ECA countries flows toward the Western and Northern European countries, as well as toward Canada and the United States. Migratory flows from one ECA country to another are not characterized by a large proportion of highly skilled migrants, even though some students regularly do come to the Russian Federation.

I could find the information about brain drains in Kazakhstan in Quillin’s Book “Migration and remittances”, therefore I can write that brain drain in Kazakhstan is noticed in last 10 years.

Benedict & Ukpere, (2011) write about the reasons why people leave their country and possible solutions to stop the brain drain. They found out that the causes of the brain drain can be explained by push-pull theory, which drives people to leave their country. The push factors include: lack of jobs, low salaries, crime, political repressions, human rights abuses, and poor educational systems. But I want to add that in Kazakhstan there is one more push factor like tribalism. This is the main problem of our economy and government structure today. Many young educated people can not find a good, highly paid job in the government structure. Therefore, they have to move from the country to developed countries where is no problem of tribalism.

The pull factors include: higher salaries, less bureaucratic control, safety of environment, and a higher standard of living. They found out that the industrialized countries should create job markets for qualified people and give them the access to new technology, financial resources and physical capital. Benedict & Ukpere, (2011) found an example, which showed the method of preventing the brain drain. In Zimbabwe, the government forced specialists, who were taught using state funds in universities, polytechnics, and colleges, to work in the social service area for some time before they were allowed to work in the private sector or legally work in other countries. Benedict & Ukpere, (2011) concluded that those countries that have the problem of brain drain will be on the better level, if the government eliminates the push factors for this problem.

Atabayeva, (2012) made a research about brain drain in Kazakhstan among students. Kazakhstan has managed to survive the demographic stress that occurred after the collapse of the Soviet Union. In addition to the natural process of birth and death, a contribution to the demographic problems leads to migration, especially outside. Economic growth in Kazakhstan is influx of additional labor, and the country has become a center of attraction of migrant workers. Before the independence, Kazakhstan mysteriously frightened and attracted foreigners. Today, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security annually sets quotas for foreign labor into the country. However, the specificity of the Kazakh migration is that only qualified professionals leave the country. From 1990 to 1998 200-400 thousands of people left Kazakhstan annually. In the initial phase of independency external migration processes in Kazakhstan preceded by political and ethnic factors in the future - social, economic, environmental, and others. From 2009 to 2011 Kazakhstan had left 51,605 professionals. The main shelter for those who left Kazakhstan, are the CIS countries, where their skills in demand. Certainly, the so-called brain drain is detrimental to the economy of Kazakhstan. According to the official data, only from 2009 to 2010, experts left the country: architecture and construction - 1891 people; medical - 1854, teaching - 3923, technical - 9428, economic - 4772, Law - 1319, agricultural - 1035, others - 8866. Apart from people who had left Kazakhstan, the government attracts more foreign professionals and skilled workers. There is a feeling that the Ministry of Education and Science does not trace the market conditions demand for specialists by type of specialties. The authorities should set a goal to retain skilled, trained and educated on the Kazakh land, and let wishing to immigrate to other countries. They are experts who know the country's economy, its characteristics, the mentality, customs and culture of the Kazakh people. Also, it may be the push factor of brain drain from Kazakhstan. I want to notice that there are a lot of companies and organizations which discriminating Kazakh workers by low salary. They pay twice more to foreign specialists. We know that there was protesting of workers in Zhanaozen in December of 2012 that leads even to death of people.

The problem now is not as acute as in the 90 years of the last century. Then the brain drain was not only out of the country to their historic homeland, but also in developing a small business sector, and other structures. Since 1 January 2012, the staff of several research institutes in Kazakhstan has lost their jobs.

The brain drain is causing people to leave their country because their living conditions are bad. It appears that brain drain’s pull-push factors include: low living conditions, lack of jobs, low salaries, human rights abuses, and poor educational systems. The most common push factors in Kazakhstan are: low salaries, lack of good jobs, sometimes we can meet the problem of bureaucrats which is insult human rights, and the poor educational system which based on corruption. Taken as a whole, a conclusion that can be drawn by researches is that the government should take measures to prevent this problem. The most possible solution which researches found is: providing better working conditions and equipments, improving facilities, and compensating for the brain drain by finance and new technology.

Interview

On Monday, October 15, at 17:30 p.m. I went to the branch office of the agency which sends students abroad to study called “Salam Study”. I met the chief of the agency Suleiman Ismail. I decided to interview him because he mostly connected with students and he has official data of migrated students from Kazakhstan. He is very clever and he is only man who has great experience and could answer to any questions. We decided to conduct interview on his work place, because it was very quiet and comfortable place. At the beginning I felt my self a bit uncomfortable, because it was first time I had ever interview someone so seriously. I gave him my consent letter in English language, because he knows English very well and after reading he is sign it.

Cover Letter

Identification of Investigators & Purpose of Study

Greetings, Hello,

You are requested to participate in a research study conducted by Mukhashbayev Azamat from KIMEP University. The purposes of this study is to inform the reader about the main causes of problem of Brain Drain in Kazakhstan and try to give information about the possible solution of this issue. This study will contribute to the completion of my senior thesis.

Research Procedures

This study consists of a survey and interview that will be given to individual participants and observations of participants in Center of Bolashak program in Almaty. You will be asked to provide answers to a series of questions related to Brain Drain in Kazakhstan.

Time Required

Participation in this study will require 30 minutes of your time.

Risks

As the researcher, I do not expect more than minimal risks from your involvement in this study.

As the researcher I expect the following are possible risks arising from your involvement with this study: to cover your name by your wish, don’t give any individual information about you.

Benefits

Potential benefits from participation in this study are: If my research work will be excellent it may published in newspapers, teachers may use this research paper as lecture notes where you name will pointed.

Confidentiality

The results of this research will be presented as a paper in Academic Reading and Writing II course, at a presentation days. Your responses will be recorded and kept top secret. Collective data will be presented represented as averages or generalizations about all responses. No identifiable information will be shared about you and no responses connected with you will be presented with your real name in the final report of this study. Your responses will be stored in a secure location accessible only to me as the researcher. I retain the right to use and publish non-identifiable data. At the end of this research, all records will be submitted to the instructor of Academic Reading and Writing II course Saule Abdramanova.

Participation & Withdrawal

Your participation is entirely voluntary. You are free to choose not to participate. Should you choose to participate, you can withdraw at any time without consequences of any kind. However, once your responses have been included in the final copy of my report you will not be able to withdraw from the study.

Questions about the Study

If you have questions or concerns during the time of your participation in this study, or after its completion or you would like to receive a copy of the final results of this study, please contact:

Mukhashbayev Azamat

College of Social Science BSS/IR ID:20101963

KIMEP University

Telephone: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]