CONDUITS OF KNOWLEDGE IN THE ASIA PACIFIC

Abstract

The global demand for scientists and engineers has increased the imperative for large transnational firms, cities, and nations to train, attract and retain highly skilled scientific personnel. Scientists move in and out of many laboratories, cities and countries through their training, careers and occupational activities. In doing so, they create research networks (dispersed knowledge networks). These networks endure long after they have moved on elsewhere. In this article we argue that it is not so much current location that is important for ‘brain-drain’ or ‘brain-gain’ but rather the places scientists have been and the networks and ‘scientific conduits’ they have laid down in their travels. There is potential for developing countries exporting skilled scientists to cities elsewhere to enhance science capability by ‘plugging in’ to these networks. We use empirical data from a survey of over 10,000 scientists and engineers from the Asia-Pacific to investigate and map this network building process.

Keywords:

• dispersed knowledge networks
• science networks
• brain-drain
• Asia Pacific migration
• skilled migration
• science careers

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the research funding support from the Australian Research Council and UNESCO that made the project reported in this article possible.

Notes

1. Location of respondents’ current job was used as a proxy for return rate.

2. These are based on Pearson's correlation coefficient test.