1279 



dynamic, virtually self -perpetuating forces that by their essence ac- 

 cumulate power and wealth ; their momentum provides an apparently 

 built-in guarantee of success and progress. 



Most LDCs have neither the base nor infrastructure, neither the ma- 

 terial nor human resources, to' create even the most elementary com- 

 ponents of these forces. Hence the ever-widening development gap. 



An absolute solution to brain drain lies essentially in what amounts 

 to equalizing the distribution of wealth and power, and the expecta- 

 tion of success and progress among all nations. This effect requires 

 either upward mobility of the LDCs or a downward depression of the 

 advanced nations. 



The paradox lies in the fact that the advanced industrial societies 

 cannot bj' rational choice reverse the momentum of progress ; they are 

 driven by forces that made the scientific-technological civilization 

 what it is. To a great extent these forces have become the determinants 

 of a nation's destiny. 



Dr. Kidd came close to revealing the essence of this paradox when 

 he observed at the State Department Interagency Workshop, while 

 commenting on narrowing the development gap : 



. . . We have a problem of a cultural and economic differential. I can't realisti- 

 cally see this country either restricting the growth of its universities, the growth 

 of its economy, or seriously restricting the freedom of movement of people in 

 order to resolve this problem. There are measures we can take and probably 

 could take around the fringes, but I think generally the problem ought to be 

 resolved in terms of reducing the differential by building the bottom rather than 

 pushing down the top.'^ 



Brain Drain-: '■'•One of the Major Challenges of Mankind'''' 



To sum up, it appears that the major trends in brain drain to 

 the United States have now become fairly fixed, at least for the imme- 

 diate future. The LDCs are the major source ; inflows of FMGs seem 

 destined to move steadily upward, inflows of scientists and engineers 

 to continue their downward turn; reversal of flows are apparent in 

 some areas. 



Kemedies for brain drain are possible by diminishing both the 

 "push" and the "pull" factors, but not likely to be pursued in the pres- 

 ent foreign policy climate. Moreover, difficulties and dilemmas con- 

 spire to complicate and even vitiate some of the partial solutions. 



In the final analysis, remedies for brain drain can be reduced to this 

 simple question: "How can the less developed countries be put on a 

 course that will lead to a self -reinforcing upward spiral of social and 

 economic progress?" As the CIMT study concluded, this is "one of the 

 major challenges to mankind, and one that will clearly require a con- 

 tinuing search for solutions which have thus far been found for few 

 countries." '"^ 



'2* Department of State, Proceedings oj Workshop on the International Migration of 

 Talent and Skills, October 1966, p. 136. 

 '25 CIMT study, p. 681. 



