Unit 8 — Brain Drain

Brain drain (= human capital migration): the departure of highly skilled people to more favourable geographic, economic, or professional conditions.

Due to conflicts, political turmoil, and lack of opportunities in their home countries, many talented and trained people emigrate to other countries to look for a better life.

Janet: Are you for or against brain drain?
Adila: I'm not in favour of brain drain because this human capital migration has very bad side effects on developing countries. It really empties these countries of their human resources. As far as I am concerned, highly skilled people such as engineers, architects, and doctors should return home after finishing their studies abroad. Governments should do their best to encourage these highly qualified people to return to their countries by creating a good working environment and more attractive opportunities for graduates and researchers to stop, or at least reduce, this phenomenon.
Janet: I share your view.

• (Do something for me), will you?
• Will you please …?
• I want you to + verb.
• Can you …?
• Could you please …?
• Would you …?
• Do you think you could …?
• Could you possibly …?
• Do you mind …?
• Would you mind …?
• I wonder if you could possibly …?

Responding to Requests:

• Yes, of course. / Sorry, I can't. / Certainly not. / Not at all. / Sure. / Sorry, I'm afraid not.

• Let me help you + verb.
• Let me help you with …
• Do you want me to …?
• Shall I …?
• Would you like me to …?
• If you like, I can …

• The result / effect / consequence of … is …
• Because of this, …
• Consequently, …
• As a result, …
• As a consequence, …
• So, …

Examples:

• Smoking results in lung cancer. (Cause → Effect)
• Lung cancer results from smoking. (Effect → Cause)
• Careless driving leads to road accidents.
• Road accidents are the result of careless driving.
• Brain drain is due to the lack of opportunities in home countries.
• Schools are far from students. Consequently, absenteeism increases in rural areas.
• One cause of underdevelopment is illiteracy.
• One effect of illiteracy is large family size.
• Due to drought and lack of public services, many people have left their villages to look for a better life in cities.
• As a consequence of this, cities have grown so large.
• Educated women have fewer children because they plan their family well. As a result, they have better personal life and nutrition.

Scientists, engineers, experts, and talented university students from poor countries are flocking to the industrialised world, drawn by the promise of better salaries and working conditions. But not everyone is happy with this situation. Governments of some developing countries regard the phenomenon as a loss of human capital that must be restricted. Others view the situation with some optimism, as countries of origin might also gain some benefit.

• tempting: highly attractive
• skilled: having the ability to perform a task expertly and well
• unskilled: not having special skill or training
• a physicist: an expert in physics
• income: revenue
• gain: obtain something needed or wanted

In context:

• The president of the World Bank urged developing countries to invest in education and the economy and combat poverty effectively.
• An estimated 900,000 highly skilled professionals entered the American labour market between 1990 and 2000.
• Talented professionals emigrate to developed countries to earn tempting wages and secure a better future.

Defining (no commas — specifies which one):

• My brother who graduated from university emigrated to Canada. (I have more than one brother)
• African writers who write in English settle down in England or the USA.
• One of the problems which the Arab countries suffer from is brain drain.

Non-Defining (with commas — adds extra info):

• My brother, who graduated from university, emigrated to Canada. (I have only one brother)
• The Pan-African Conference, which took place in Illinois, focused on reversing brain drain into brain gain.
• Capital flight, which is as problematic as brain drain, refers to financial capital no longer invested in the country.
• My uncle, who got his university degree, emigrated to Canada to continue his studies.
• The house, which has been empty for about a year, has just been sold.

With "whose":

• Graduates whose grades are the highest will be given jobs with tempting salaries.
• India, whose highly skilled labour includes IT engineers, has succeeded in reversing brain drain into brain gain.
• The United Nations is an international organisation whose mission is to maintain world peace and security.

Remember: In defining relative clauses, the relative pronoun (object) can be omitted:
Did you like the present (which) I sent you? ✓ — but if subject: I met a woman who works for the UN Organisation. ✗ (cannot omit)
In non-defining clauses, the relative pronoun can NEVER be omitted.

Today, in many parts of the world, growing up in a rural region often means growing up without a decent education. School attendance is generally low and absenteeism is high, mainly among girls. This is not surprising, considering the distance many children have to walk daily, only to find a school in precarious areas without furniture, learning materials, drinking water, or toilets, and sometimes even without a teacher. Rural people are often caught in the vicious circle of having no access to the services and opportunities that might lift them out of poverty.