1184 



What makes the case of brain drain from the LDCs so serious is 

 that the loss is not merely in hnman resources but rather in an edu- 

 cated elite that is essential, even vital, for development. 



An educated elite plays a primary role in society, and the social 

 loss to the LDCs from its drain can have adverse effects far beyond 

 the impact of specialized disciplines.^- In greneral, hiofhly skilled man- 

 power is part of the larger infrastructure of a social elite that is 

 necessary for development. Beyond their specialized areas the scientist, 

 engineer, and physician contribute to a nation's political, social, and 

 cultural developrnent. They help set the tone of society, and establish 

 national values and goals; where science and technology are assigned 

 a highl}^ visible prestige status in society, their influence can be in- 

 estimable. As Dr. Claire Nader wrote: "In a profound sense, medical 

 and other scientifically trained persons occupy pivotal positions in 

 that they help change values, a necessary condition for changing 

 institutions." *-^ 



Social scientists, historians, and students of the humanities, arche- 

 ology, and business administration — all the non-scientific-technologi- 



*-^ Section III contains abundant data to show the size of the talent migration Into 

 the United States and other advanced countries. Commentaries and analyses oh particular 

 cases of brain drain are instructive. The report of the U.X. Secretary General on brain 

 drain observed : "The 10,308 professionals Immigrating into the United States of America 

 between 1962 and 1967 represented over 1.7 percent of Latin America's estimated total 

 number of university-level professionals in 1965." 



"Colombia is considered to have had a net loss of 11,000 professionals between 1958 

 and 1964 and to have professional emigration of about 1,000 persons a year equal to 

 15-20 percent of those graduating annually from Colombian universities, of which 80 

 percent proceed to the United States of America. In the case of Argentina, the number 

 of engineers who emigrated to the United States between 1950 and 1964 corresponded 

 to 14.3 percent of the total number of engineers working in industry in the country in 

 1902. Nearly 10 percent of India's medical doctors are working in foreign countries, 

 mainly the United Kingdom and the United States, while in India a laree number of 

 vacancies for physicians in government clinics remains unfilled." (Report of U.N. Secretary 

 General, Outflow of Trained Personnel from LDCs, Nov. 5, 1968. pp. 40.73-74 — 41.) 



A UNITAR study on brain drain from the Philippines estimated an annual rate of 

 professional emigration at 30 percent or 6.000. "Such figures," the study stated, "would 

 constitute substantial percentages of the annual crop of university graduates of Philippine 

 Institutions of higher learning. On the basis of research carried out in 1967, less than 

 half of the undergraduate population between 1962 and 1965 is in fields other than 

 teacher training. Therefore, even if the annual number of college graduates would exceed 

 100,000 a year, the projected rate of professional emigrants would constitute roughly 

 10 percent of the annual output of university graduates. What is even more significant 

 is that the emigrants would probably represent the cream of the crop." (UNITAR, Brain 

 Drain from Five LDCs. 1971, p. 102.) 



President James A. Perkins of Cornell wrote : "The drain from Asian nations, particu- 

 larly Taiwan and Korea, is the most serious : It is estimated that over 90 percent of 

 the Asian students 'who come here to study never return home." (Perkins, op. cit., n. 

 617.) A report in the New York Times on July 14, 1968 stated that a recent study 

 showed that over 80 percent of Taiwan's college graduates leave their country for the 

 United States and less than 5 percent return. (Cited in, Deutsch, op. cit., p. 28.) The 

 State Department has stated that the percentage of students adjusting to immigration 

 status was approximately 8.3 percent. Senator Mond.ile claimed that this estimate was 

 misleartlnc, suggesting a closer percentage as being 10.4 percent and applied to Asia 

 would amount to 28.1 percent. (Hearings, Senate Judiciary Committee, International 

 MinrnUnn of Talent and Skills. 1968, np. 91-92.) 



«3 Nndor. Science and Technology in Developing Countries, p. 457. Prof. Steven Deutsch 

 made a similar comment on the value of an educated elite. He wrote: "Education serves 

 as, among other things, a conveyor of national culture and ideology. Not only do educated 

 members of a societv serve as a technical elite helping to lead the society into higher 

 levels of economic organization and output, but they play critical roles in terms of the 

 cultural and political life of the society." (Deutsch, op. cit, p. 23.) 



The renort of the U.N. Secretarv General made the following assessment of the relation- 

 ship between the educated elite and society : "The most important losses . . . which can- 

 not be nuantitativelv measured are the contributions trained persons make to develop- 

 ment not only professionallv, but also creatively and in terms of leadership. It is the 

 loss of talent' to meet the demands of leadership, planning and imaginative management. 

 In a sense the total efTect of the outflow cannot be assessed since the potential contri- 

 bution did not take place." (Report of U.N. Secretary General, Outflow of Trained Per- 

 sonnel from LDCs. Nov. 5, 1908, p. 44.83.) 



