1196 



The cost of manpower loss increases when the country has to meet 

 its manpower demands by drawing on foreign resources. A case in 

 point is Iran. In 1966, according to Habib Naficy, there were some 6,000 

 paid foreign experts working in a variety of fields and positions and 

 also hundreds of foreign experts who were "graciously" sent to Iran 

 by the Peace Corps and different technical assistance agencies. "Their 

 places could be taken by qualified Iranians who have not returned," 

 said Mr. Naficy ; "the brain drain of young Iranians is, indeed, a very 

 real problem." ^^^ 



In such instances the LDC suffers a dual loss. Yet, the LDCs, 

 like those in Africa which have limited advanced training facilities for 

 their nationals, must accept great risks in losing an estimated 20 per- 

 cent or more of their students sent abroad for advanced study.*^^ 



Loss of National Prestige. — Finally, the LDCs suffer a loss of na- 

 tional prestige when their professional elite leaves the country for 

 residency in the advanced West. Prestige is a difficult factor to measure 

 in international politics. Though intangible and elusive, it is nonethe- 

 less a reality ; it is recognized as such, and does affect a nation's stand- 

 ing in the world community. This effect is particularly strong in the 

 LDCs where the search for a new national identity generates a special 

 awareness of value and worth in the eyes of other nation-states. 



"The natural scientist is one of the most sought-after people in the 

 world," wrote Dr. James A. Wilson, a social psychologist at the Uni- 

 versity of Pittsburgh, and Jerry Gaston, a sociologist at the Southern 

 Illinois University. "It is widely believed that he represents a cur- 

 rency which can be translated into domestic and international wealth 

 and prestige." Though difficult, if not impossible, to put a figure on 

 losses caused by the migration of scientists (and for that matter other 

 components of the professional elite), such migration, they said, "does 

 impoverish the source country appreciably." They explained: "The 

 prestige of a nation's scientific establishment tends to be weakened by 

 extensive, permanent migration, although the relationship which con- 

 nects prestige, emigration, and the 'base number' of scientists in that 

 countrjT^ is far from clear." *^^ 



Not all students agree with this view. Jagdish Bhagwati, an Indian 

 intellectual who after years of residency abroad returned home but 

 commutes between both worlds, contended that Indians working 

 abroad are enhancing the prestige and reputation of their country. In 

 arguing for an open door policy on education and work abroad, he 

 said: "The work of many mathematicians, physicists, statisticians, 

 and economists at foreign universities while they are working abroad, 



*8i Naficy, op. clt, p. 70. 



482 That Africans are aware of these risks Is shown In the final report of the Organiza- 

 tion of African Unity (OAU) conference in Nairobi during July 1968. The report 

 acknowledged that there were only three or so universities where postgraduate studies 

 were given. These Institutions were very expensive to establish, and, the candidates usually 

 available in each state were few in number. Otherwise, all postgraduate studies were 

 taken outside Africa. The OAU reviewed this problem and decided in the Interests of 

 Member States that centers of excellence be established In Africa to serve postgraduate 

 needs. (Organization of African Unity, UNESCO, Final Report: Conference on Education, 

 and Scientific and Technical Training in Relation to Development in Africa, Nairobi, 

 Julv 16-27. 1968, p. 60.) 



**3 Wilson and Gaston, op. clt, p. 234. 



