Internationalising Higher Education

In a recent report from the UNESCO Institute of Statistics it was reported that students from sub-Saharan Africa are the mot mobile in the world with one out of every 16 studying abroad. Many of these students may never return to their home countries. They choose to take advantage of attractive migration opportunities provided to them by knowledge-hungry, industrialised countries. We have a global labour market and unequal power relations. Some countries are attempting to reverse the brain drain through incentives. Many developed nations have ethical recruitment policies in sectors such as health and education. There are also individual freedoms and choice to consider. Will the exodus of students and qualified workers from sub-Saharan Africa result in unmitigated tragedy for some of the poorest countries in the world? Or does the experience of India and China suggest that brain drain can have a positive impact for sending countries? The debate continues in this session with two different perspectives on the relationship between international education and brain drain.