1062 



Even considerations on tlie critical elite deal only with part of the 

 definitional problem. Another part, not quite as dramatic but signifi- 

 cant nonetheless for development in the LDCs, is the loss of middle- 

 level personnel, that is, the electricians, welders, and other skilled 

 craftsmen so important in building a modern society. While this study 

 concentrates on high-level manpower, still the drain of middle-level 

 talent constitutes a serious and virtually unaccountable loss.^" IMiddle- 

 level skills are in short supply nearly everywhere and existing second- 

 ary and vocational education still inadequately produce such skills.^^ 

 Yet in the LDCs middle-level skills, vitally needed for any industrial- 

 izing or institutionalizing initiative, quite often are in scarcer supply 

 relative to dernand than high-level skills. Developed countries appear to 

 require about 50 percent more middle-level than high-level skills. 

 Ironically, some ordinary middle-level skills are often relatively 

 rare in the LDCs. India, overflowing with civil engineers, has 

 a serious shortage of electricians.^* Korea had a core-group of 

 newly trained nuclear physicists for creating a scientific research 

 base in the nation but lacked the welders to build the nec- 

 essary scientific apparatus. Developed countries have more middle- 

 level personnel and require more and at a faster rate than do the 

 LDCs.^^.Thus the migration of middle-level talent, usually not con- 

 sidered in studies on brain drain, contributes to the drain and conse- 

 quently can impair development. 



AN APPROACH TO THE BRAIN DRAIN PROBLEM 



Given the complexities and difficulties in defining talent migration, 

 it is understandable why some students of this phenomenon take seri- 

 ous exception to the commonly applied term, "brain drain." Such a 

 term, imprecise and emotional, tends to prejudge the issue. Use of this 

 "descriptive shorthand," says Richard A. Humphrey, Director, Com- 

 mission on International Education of the American Council on Edu- 

 cation, is "unfortunate," because it implies "purposive exploitation." 

 To the extent that it does, it casts an "emotional aura" over the search 

 for facts.^*^ 



Acknowledging these attitudes and inherent definitional difficulties, 

 this study makes no attempt to formulate a general, comprehensive 

 definition of "brain drain" that can apply to all cases. It does, however, 

 attempt a more narrowly circumscribed definition. Since the study 

 focuses mainly on loss of professional manpower from the LDCs, 



52 The high-level manpower category is generally defined to mean "professional, techni- 

 cal and kindred workers" (PTK). The International Labour Office gave this definition : 

 "Workers in this major group conduct research and apply In a professional capacity 

 scientific knowledge and methods to a variety of technological, economic, social, indus- 

 trial and governmental problems, carry out technical tasks auxiliary to scientific research, 

 development and practice, and perform religious, educational, legal, artistic and literary 

 functions. Those classified In this major group perform tasks which usually require 

 training in a specific scientific or other professional field, at a university, technical 

 institute or similar establishment or which require creative ability in literature or art 

 or talent in entertaining." Many countries make slight variations In this category. (In- 

 ternational Labour Office. International standard classification of occupations. Geneva, 

 1958. Ib Henderson, Emigration of High-Skilled Manpower from the Developing Coun- 

 tries, UNITAR, pp. 4-5.) 



63 Ibid., p. 50. 



" Ibid., pp. 50-51. 



65 Ibid., p. 52. 



^Hearings, Senate Judiciary Committee, International Migration of Talent and Skills, 

 1967, p. 133. 



