Brain Drain from Pakistan: Causes and Factors
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55737/qjss.691034354Keywords:
Brain drain, Economy Causes, Pakistan, Human CapitalAbstract
The problem of "brain drain" is a serious and ongoing issue for many countries, including Pakistan. This article explores the complex web of causes behind the outflow of Pakistan's educated and skilled labor force, a trend with far-reaching effects on the country's economic growth. Many highly trained Pakistanis feel compelled to leave their homeland in search of economic opportunity because of the country's poor economic climate. The need to leave your country because of political unrest, poor leadership, or fear for your safety only grows in intensity as a result. Constraints on access to excellent education and research opportunities are discussed as contributing factors to the brain drain from Pakistan. Emigration choices are heavily influenced by cultural and social variables such as family pressure and community norms. The study also explores the impact of government policies on brain drain patterns and the effect that globalization and connectivity have had in making overseas possibilities more accessible. It also delves into the sociocultural changes resulting from the loss of human capital that has plagued Pakistan due to this phenomenon. The paper indicates the policy suggestions and possible options for reducing brain drain in Pakistan in light of the data presented here.
Downloads
References
Ashraf, D., Ali, T., & Hosain, A. (2013). Youth development and education in Pakistan : Exploring the relationship. SISYPHUS Journal of Education, 1(2), 162–192. https://doi.org/10.25749/sis.3634
Böhme, M. H. (2015). Migration and educational aspirations – Another channel of brain gain? IZA Journal of Migration, 4(1), https://doi.org/10.1186/s40176-015-0036-9
Burrowes, K., & Shannon, J. (2021, March 8). Six big challenges facing governments in 2021. PwC. https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/reinventing-the-future/take-on-tomorrow/government-challenges.html
Chaudhry, A. A. (2023, August 20). Brain drain. DAWN.COM. https://www.dawn.com/news/1771120
Conger, R. D., Conger, K. J., & Martin, M. J. (2010). Socioeconomic status, family processes,and individual development. Journal of Marriage and Family, 72(3), 685–704. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2010.00725.x
Dodani, S., & LaPorte, R. E. (2005). Brain drain from developing countries: how can brain drain be converted into wisdom gain? Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 98(11), 487–491. https://doi.org/10.1258/jrsm.98.11.487
Ebrahim, Z. T. (2023, January 31). Young professionals flee crisis-hit Pakistan in search of jobs. Global Climate, Economic Inequality & Tech News | Context. https://www.context.news/money-power-people/young-professionals-flee-crisis-hit-pakistan-in-search-of-jobs
Ejaz, R. (2023, September 14). Pakistan isn’t progressing because of nepotism. The Express Tribune. https://tribune.com.pk/article/97746/pakistan-isnt-progressing-because-of-nepotism#
Fran. (2021, March 5). The top skills in Pakistan for employability. FutureLearn. https://www.futurelearn.com/info/futurelearn-international/top-skills-in-pakistan
Hassan, M., & Abbas, A. (2023, September 22). Impact of brain drain on Pakistan's economic growth. World Geostrategic Insights. https://www.wgi.world/impact-of-brain-drain-on-pakistan-s-economic-growth/
Husain, S. (2006). The Role of Professional Women in Pakistani Society [Doctoral dissertation]. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1940&context=honors_theses
Kenton, W. (2023, March 22). Human capital definition: Types, examples, and relationship to the economy. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/h/humancapital.asp
Kokab, F., Greenfield, S., Lindenmeyer, A., Sidhu, M., Tait, L., & Gill, P. (2020). Social networks, health and identity: exploring culturally embedded masculinity with the Pakistani community, West Midlands, UK. BMC Public Health, 20(1), https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-09504-9
Mahar, M. (2020, April 18). Historical development of favoritism and nepotism in Pakistan. Modern Diplomacy. https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2020/04/19/historical-development-of-favoritism-and-nepotism-in-pakistan/
Memon, M. A. (2023, October 12). Pakistan’s brain drain dilemma: Navigating the exodus. Pakistan Today | Latest News from Pakistan. https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2023/10/12/pakistans-brain-drain-dilemma-navigating-the-exodus/
Meo, S. A., & Sultan, T. (2023). Brain drain of healthcare professionals from Pakistan from 1971 to 2022: Evidence-based analysis. Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences, 39(4), https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.39.4.7853
Mishra, S. (2023, January 17). Pakistan's economic crisis. University of Michigan News. https://news.umich.edu/pakistans-economic-crisis/
Naqvi, R. (2020, February 7). Going abroad, but why? DAWN.COM. https://www.dawn.com/news/1532656
Sajjad, N. (2011). Causes and Solutions to Intellectual Brain Drain in Pakistan. The Dialogue, 6(1), 31-55.
Tahir, S. (2023, March 20). Pakistan - Brain drain to brain gain? The Friday Times. https://thefridaytimes.com/20-Mar-2023/pakistan-brain-drain-to-brain-gain
Tomlinson, M. (2012). Graduate Employability: a Review of Conceptual and Empirical Themes. Higher Education Policy, 25(4), 407–431. https://doi.org/10.1057/hep.2011.26
Ume, S., & Fiaz, M. F. (2018). Impact of brain drain on economic growth in Pakistan. The Business and Management Review, 9(4), 548–552. https://cberuk.com/cdn/conference_proceedings/2019-07-13-11-49-26-AM.pdf
World Bank. (2023, March 4). Overview. https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/pakistan/overview
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Majid Ali Shah, Jawad Ishaq Rana, Muhammad Ayoub
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.