The Global Competition for Talent: Mobility of the Highly Skilled 11 June 2009, Bergen Ester Basri Science and Technology Policy Division, OECD Contact:

Outline Why is international mobility important? Where are the highly skilled moving? What are the motives of researchers? How are policy makers responding? Summary and policy options 2

Why is international mobility an important policy issue? Human resources in science and technology (HRST) are critical to innovation and growth R&D expenditure and need for skilled workers is increasing International mobility is growing rapidly International mobility is not just a supply issue – it facilitates knowledge diffusion 3

Substantial absolute growth in R&D globally and new players GERD billions USD (PPP) 4 Source: OECD, MSTI, 2008/1

Skilled occupations growing faster than employment 5 Source: OECD, STI Scoreboard 2007

Maintaining capability Demand for researchers and skilled workers is expected to increase further –R&D targets –Expansion of science and innovation systems; economic stimulus packages as a result of the financial crisis Demand is also driven by demographic changes Supply is affected by the attractiveness of research careers 6

Departures: a large proportion of expatriates are highly-skilled Expatriates as a % of all native-born, OECD, Source: OECD Database on Immigrants and Expatriates

But differences across the OECD Distribution of expatriates by skill level and country of origin, 2001 Source: OECD Database on Immigrants and Expatriates 8

Expatriates concentrated in US, EU Canada and Australia Shares of highly-skilled immigrants in the OECD, Source: OECD Database on Immigrants and Expatriates

Arrivals: intra-OECD mobility significant Highly skilled migrants by OECD country of residence, 2001, as % of highly skilled natives 10 Source: OECD Database on Immigrants and Expatriates

Examples of non-OECD mobility Foreign born highly skilled migrants in select OECD countries by country of birth & country of residence, 2001, thousands 11 Source: OECD Database on Immigrants and Expatriates

Recent evidence: Australia 12 Source: Hugo 2007 p. 11 Number of academic arrivals and departures

Recent evidence: United Kingdom 13 Percentage change in permanent academic staff in UK universities, by nationality, 1995/96 to 2003/04 Source: Universities UK, calculated from Table 8

Student mobility has risen very fast Students increasingly mobile – nearly doubled from % enrolled in OECD area – top destinations are US, UK, Germany, France, Australia. Market shares changing: eg. US dropped 5 percentage points as preferred destination Two-thirds of foreign students in OECD countries are from non-OECD economies Number of students enrolled outside their country of citizenship, Source: OECD Education at a Glance 2007

Wide variation of foreign enrolments according to field of study Distribution of international and foreign students by field of education, Source: OECD Education at a Glance 2007

International students in advanced research programmes, 2005 (percentage of total enrolments in advanced research programmes) Source: OECD Education at a Glance

Doctorate holders are mobile (percentage of citizens with a doctorate having lived or stayed abroad in the past 10 years) Source: OECD, 2009, Careers of Doctorate Holders 17

Top 10 countries (previous residence or stay of citizens with a doctorate having been mobile between 1997 and 2006) Source: OECD, 2009, Careers of Doctorate Holders 18

Why are researchers mobile? Employment related –Better employment opportunities, professional development, career advancement Access to scientific infrastructure & research funding Personal reasons –Family-related, lifestyle 19

% of doctorate holders dissatisfied with employment situation Country average, Source: OECD, 2009, Careers of Doctorate Holders

Considerable return and circular migration Return and circular migration form an important part of mobility –75% return rate of skilled Australian emigrants who depart “permanently” –50% of immigrants with work visas left Norway within 10 years of arrival – similar figures in Canada –Intended length of stay of immigrants to UK is falling “Brain circulation” builds networks and linkages for knowledge – but absorptive capacity is essential

Reasons for returning are diverse (Reasons given by national citizens with a doctorate for returning to the home country) 22 Source: OECD, 2009, Careers of Doctorate Holders

Globalisation has reduced the cost of travelling and communicating across borders Transportation and communication costs 23

Encouraging mobility through policy What policy settings do we see? –OECD questionnaire on government policy practices and programmes to encourage inward and outward international mobility of human resources in science and technology (HRST), especially scientists, engineers and researchers –15 responses (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Switzerland, United Kingdom plus EC) 24

What types of policies and strategies are used? (1) National policies use similar techniques to attract a similar target audience. Focus is on inflows Countries offer financial incentives, facilitated entry procedures for migrants, recognition of qualifications, social and cultural support… Level of “intensity” differs by country – e.g. resources committed and number of HRST affected 25

Economic incentives for inflows of HRST 26 Source: OECD, 2008, The Global Competition for Talent

What types of policies and strategies are used? (2) Few countries have mobility strategies Some policy co-ordination is appearing Institutional-level policies are complementary to national policies (eg. help with visas, housing, travel grants) But little evaluation of policies 27

Attracting talent: Policy challenge What governments can and cannot influence: –Eg: reasons for return include personal/family, employment opportunities at home, the “distance” between home and host… –Mobility influenced by age, language… –Eurobarometer survey 2005: what are the greatest difficulties to be faced when moving to another EU country? Culture and language (67%), employment (43%), transferability of pension rights (13%)… 28

Current policies can be improved For example, by: –Set an appropriate level of grant funding at the individual level –Make sure grant durations are adequate to achieve objectives –Ensure appropriate financial checks and balances –Align incentives of policy and its target audience –Ensure clarity of programme goals –Coherence with overall strategy, and awareness of that strategy, is important 29

Main messages Mobility of researchers leads to flows of knowledge that benefit both sending and receiving countries: Mobility is not a zero-sum game The global demand for talent has become increasingly competitive This is likely to continue and may accelerate since opportunities are improving in supply countries Mobility is complex, takes many forms and researchers are motivated by a variety of factors 30

Policy options for the future Consider removing barriers to short-term and circular mobility, and fostering connections with diaspora Policies cannot simply focus on monetary incentives – HRST and researchers are attracted by wider support for science and innovation Remove any obstacles to domestic supply of HRST 31

For more detail, see: 32