The magic of diasporas

A recent article in The Economist:

Immigrant networks are a rare bright spark in the world economy. Rich countries should welcome them.

"fears that poor countries will suffer as a result of a “brain drain” are overblown. The prospect of working abroad spurs more people to acquire valuable skills, and not all subsequently emigrate. Skilled migrants send money home, and they often return to set up new businesses. One study found that unless they lose more than 20% of their university graduates, the brain drain makes poor countries richer."

 
http://www.economist.com/node/21538742

A Bicontinental Biologist's Project: How to Rejuvenate Russian Science

From The Chronicle of Higher Education, a story of a scientist in the Russian diaspora, and how he used connections in both countries to improve Russian science, and some of the hurdles he encountered.

http://chronicle.com/article/A-Bicontinental-Biologists/129803/?sid=gn&utm_source=gn&utm_medium=en

Welcome to Scientific Diasporas

Welcome to the Scientific Diasporas blog, a source of news, resources and information for self-organized communities of expatriate scientists and engineers working to develop their home country or region, in science, technology, and education.

Scientific diasporas constitute an important resource for countries of origin. We hope to offer a platform for sharing ideas and raising the profile of S&T diaspora networks that often work in isolation. This website aims to increase collaboration and sharing of best practices among diverse communities and forms of engagement.

For the first post here, we offer a policy article published in Science magazine in 2006 that nicely articulates the promise of scientific diasporas, and what can be done to optimize their activities.

Scientific Diasporas

by Béatrice Séguin, Peter A. Singer and Abdallah S. Daar.

Science 16 June 2006

Source: Photos.com & Science magazine