Brain Drain and the Academic and Intellectual Labour Market in Croatia Greta Pifat-Mrzljak Luka Juroš Vlasta Vizek Vidović Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb

Brain Drain and the Academic and Brain Drain and the Academic and Intellectual Labour Market in CroatiaIntellectual Labour Market in Croatia

Greta Pifat-MrzljakLuka Juroš

Vlasta Vizek Vidović

Ruđer Bošković Institute, ZagrebUNESCO Chair in Governance and Management of Higher Education, University of Zagreb

Pifat-Mrzljak, Juroš, Vizek-Vidović 2004

Croatia – Facts and FiguresCroatia – Facts and Figures

Population: 4,37 million 6 universities, 7 polytechnics 17 independent post-secondary schools (11 of

them private) 28 public research institutes System of higher education employs 9,570

people Public research institutes employ 1,475 people Higher education graduates make 7.3% of the

total population


Higher education profile 1971-2001Higher education profile 1971-2001

Year Number of persons with higher education

% in total population

1971 74,376 2.20

1981 131,937 3.60

1991 204,066 5.30

2001 267,995 7.27

Source: Central Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Croatia, 2001, www.dzs.hr


Number of scientists andNumber of scientists andresearchers in 2003researchers in 2003

Total

In research organisations 10,161Outside research

organisations3,679

Retired 2,325

TOTAL 16,165

Source: Ministry of Science, Education and Sport, 2004


Structure of scientists and Structure of scientists and researchers in 2003researchers in 2003

2113 1941

2889

638

13781202

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000Natural Sciences

Technical Sciences andEngineering

Biomedicine and Health

Biotechnical Sciences

Social Sciences

Humanities


Human potential in Human potential in R&D R&D activities inactivities inpublic institutionpublic institutions in 2003s in 2003


Employment in Employment in sscience cience in in 19981998


Scientific production Scientific production by by number of cited number of cited texts (1998)texts (1998)


Proportion of state budget for science in Proportion of state budget for science in GDPGDP


Budget sBudget structure tructure for science and for science and higher education (in millions of kuna)higher education (in millions of kuna)


Ministry of Science and Technology Ministry of Science and Technology expenditure expenditure inin 2003 2003

1/3 of total funds allocated to science

60% allocated to higher education


Sources of funding for research and Sources of funding for research and development development in in 19981998


Number of junior researchers in 2003Number of junior researchers in 2003

Scientific areas Total

Natural sciences 449

Engineering 486

Biomedicine and health 374

Biotechnical 178

Social sciences 353

Humanities 323

Types of institutions

Public institutes 499

Higher education institutions

1,526

Other institutions 138

Total number of junior researchers:

2,163


Scholarship exchanges on the basis Scholarship exchanges on the basis of bilateral programmes from Croatiaof bilateral programmes from Croatia

Year Number of scholarships

Number of research months

2000 130 337

2001 145 606

2002 143 603


Student enrolments in 2002/03 by Student enrolments in 2002/03 by scientific disciplinesscientific disciplines

NNumber of umber of graduates graduates from from HE HE institutions 1991-2000institutions 1991-2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

Students 8680 7856 8275 8394 9298 11461 11460 13286 13315 13510

1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

Total number of graduates: 105,535


PProspective students inrospective students inacademic year 2004/2005academic year 2004/2005

University and professional studies at Total

University of Zagreb 13,551

University of Osijek 4,879

University of Rijeka 5,830

University of Split 8,136

University of Zadar 1,005

University of Dubrovnik 900

TOTAL 34,301


NNumber of undergraduate studentsumber of undergraduate studentsat University of Zagrebat University of Zagreb

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

ART

BIOMEDICINE

BIOTECHNICAL

SCIENCES

ENGINEERING

HUMANITIES

NATURE

SCIENCES

SOCIAL

SCIENCES

INTERFACULTY

PROGRAMMES

Field of study

Num

ber o

f stu

dent

s

2001 1996 1991


Number of full-time employed staffNumber of full-time employed staffat University of Zagrebat University of Zagreb

0

500

1000

1500

2000ART

BIOMEDICINE

BIOTECHNICAL

SCIENCES

ENGINEERING

HUMANITIES

NATURE

SCIENCES

SOCIAL

SCIENCES

2001 1996 1991


Potential migrations of youngPotential migrations of youngscientists 1990-2000scientists 1990-2000 Young

scientists 1990

Young scientists 1998

Young scientists 2000

Young scientists with offers to go abroad

Potential base for brain drain

78.7% 56.0% 66.7% 21.7%

Decided to go abroad

11.7% 7.3% 2.4% 2.4%

TOTAL 24.1%

Source: M. Adamović, 2003


Brain drain of Croatian scientistsBrain drain of Croatian scientistsby disciplines and titles 1990-2000by disciplines and titles 1990-2000

Source: "Večernji list" January 19, 2001; M. Adamović, 2003

Natural sciences

244

Technical sciences

249

Biomedicine 139

Others 217

TOTAL 849

PhD 346 40.75%

MSc 319 37.57%

Young scientists

184 21.67%


Statistical estimation on number ofStatistical estimation on number ofpersons with high education leaving Croatiapersons with high education leaving Croatia

Estimation conducted by Ministry of Science and Technology– The difference between number of graduates and the

actual increase in number of HE persons is 30,000– Number of brain drain was estimated by calculating

proportion in total mortality in the period– Proportions taken: 5%, 4%, 3% in total mortality– Possible brain drain rates: 4.5% (min), 8.9%, 13.2% (max)


Molecular biology degrees profileMolecular biology degrees profile1985-20001985-2000

Acad. year Students Graduates MSc PhD

91/92 30 27 9 692/93 44 44 10 1093/94 44 39 7 794/95 43 37 3 295/96 40 34 ? ?96/97 47 42 ? ?97/98 51 35 ? ?98/99 53 14 ? ?99/00 3 ? ?Total 589 483 Percentage 82


Brain drain of molecular biologistsBrain drain of molecular biologists

Graduated up to 1996/97 – 432

Working in Croatia – 249 or 57.6%

Working abroad (brain drain) – 166 or 38.3%

Brain drain countries Number

USA 34

Germany 34

Switzerland 39

Austria 16

Great Britain 8

France 12

Italy 6

Sweden 4

Serbia 3

the Netherlands, Spain, Canada, Belgium, Macedonia,

Slovenia, Australia

10

Total 166


Number of graduated MD studentsNumber of graduated MD studentsand their brain drain and their brain drain

Year No. of students Brain drain MDs MDs studying abroad %1997 317 9 1 1998 320 19 1 1999 312 8 1 2000 277 10 0 2001 255 3 1 2002 240 1 0 2003 251 1 0 Total 1971 51 4 2.8

Another survey shows that 403 MDs applied for documents for travel abroad in the last 10 years


Number of graduated pharmacy Number of graduated pharmacy students and their brain drainstudents and their brain drain

Year No. graduates Brain drain Studying abroad Other %

1993/94 48 0 1994/95 73 6 1995/96 71 1 1996/97 90 0 1997/98 94 1 2 1998/99 117 3 1999/00 122 1 2000/01 118 1 2001/02 154 1 2 2002/03 132 1 1 TOTAL 1019 15 3 2 2.0


Distribution of Distribution of mmining engineersining engineersin the period of 1993-2003in the period of 1993-2003

Category No. of graduates Percentage

214 1 13 6.02 15 7.03 1 TOTAL 28 13.0

• 1 – Brain drain of mining engineers• 2 – Engineers who worked in Croatia and then went abroad• 3 – Brain gain


Number of graduated electrical engineering Number of graduated electrical engineering students and their brain drain students and their brain drain

Year No. of graduates Brain drain

Studying abroad %

1994 400 12 1 3.01995 520 20 1 3.81996 469 16 0 3.41997 460 18 1 3.91998 432 16 0 2.71999 532 10 0 1.92000 443 7 3 1.62001 442 0 1 -2002 388 3 0 0.8Total 4090 102 7 2.6


Almae Matris Alumni Societies Almae Matris Alumni Societies

Established in 1990 at University of Zagreb 16 AMAC societies throughout the world today

(AMAC Mundus) and 16 in Croatia (AMAC Domus) 9 societies in the process of formation AMAC bulletin published in 10,000 copies Convention of all AMAC societies is due in Zagreb

June 30 – July 3 http://www.unizg.hr/amac/prob.htm

Geographical distribution ofGeographical distribution ofCroatian scientists abroadCroatian scientists abroad

Country Number of scientists

Country Number of scientists

USA 466 Bosnia and Herzegovina 7Germany 143 Chile 7Canada 84 Slovenia 6Switzerland 75 Norway 4France 50 Denmark 4UK 39 Belgium 4Austria 37 Mexico 3Australia 34 Israel 3Argentina 16 Hungary 2Italy 16 Venezuela 2Sweden 15 Peru 2Netherlands 12 Greece, Iceland, Brasil, Kenya, Nepal,

Liechtenstein, Taiwan, Monaco, Japan, Hong Kong, Serbia, Malta

12

Total 1033


Congress of Croatian scientistsCongress of Croatian scientistsfrom homeland and abroad from homeland and abroad Due in November 2004 in Zagreb and Vukovar,

organised by Ministry of Science, Education and Sport Bringing together Croatian scientists across the world Promoting individual networking and institutional

cooperation Workshops and discussions http://www.mzos.hr/pkhz/


Measures and strategies forMeasures and strategies forsolving the brain drain problemsolving the brain drain problem Significantly increase investment in science Define and employ measures and procedures to transform brain

drain into brain gain and brain circulation Encourage international cooperation in science and higher

education Emphasize the importance of science for the development of

Croatia Establish the economic and social measures to be implemented

for improvement of the role of knowledge in Croatian society Involve alumni into Alma Mater activities Use the potential of the scientific diaspora


ConclusionConclusion

Case study of brain drain in Croatia determined three facts:– There currently exists no systematic monitoring of brain drain and

labour migration market. This could escalate into a significant problem as seen in the case of molecular biologists.

– Academic labour market is influenced by the quality of environment for scientific work and the opportunity for scientific development

– interest expressed by Croatian scientists abroad and AMAC societies shows significant potential for reinvestment of human scientific resources

Policy proposal: “to use the EHEA and ERA trends, diaspora and AMAC potentials to build a sustainable and effective system of brain drain monitoring and management in Croatia.”


Web sitesWeb sites

Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb

www.irb.hrUNESCO Chair in Governance and

Management of Higher Education, University of Zagreb

www.unizg.hr/unesco

[email protected]

Documents

Brain Drain and the Academic and Intellectual Labour Market in Croatia Greta Pifat-Mrzljak Luka Juroš Vlasta Vizek Vidović Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb