A new article on universityworldnews.com explores how imbalance in scientific migration threatens Europe’s academic landscape.
Key Take-Aways
- Researchers’ mobility is uneven across Europe. Northern countries tend to attract an increasing number of researchers, while many institutions in the South struggle to offer long-term contracts
- Cities like Vigo and Trencín are facing additional pressure due to competition with neighbouring regions
- Targeted interventions like double-degree programmes and specialisation could help the institutions to move forward
Moving away: Temporary or permanent?
Mónica Fernández Arias is currently working at the University of Vigo, which is coordinating the EVERGLASS project. She conducted research in Germany and in the UK, before eventually coming back to her hometown. Why is this special? Because she is one of few that managed to return.
According to Mónica, Vigo’s infrastructure is good, its industrial presence strong. Nonetheless, the academic system is pushing researchers away. The longer they stay abroad, the harder it is to return, as many universities do not offer long-term contracts. As a result, these universities suffer from scientific depopulation.
The vicious cycle of scientific depopulation
The Scholarly Migration Database shows that Europe’s Northern countries attract many researchers, while institutions in its South suffer. When depopulation is combined with a declining institutional reputation, consequences like fewer publications and less research funding occur, which motivates even more people to leave. The affected regions get trapped in vicious cycles. To escape these circles, they must increase their efforts.
Competition with institutions from cities or countries nearby causes additional pressure for many universities, for example, Trencín, Slovakia. The EVERGLASS partner FunGlass from the University of Trencín is located there. Dušan Galusek, director of FunGlass, describes that 21.000 young Slovaks are currently studying in the Czech Republic. Within 50 kilometres of Trencín, there are four Czech cities that offer them the opportunity to study under the same conditions. It is likely that they will also find jobs there, possibly never returning to their homes.
Hope for a better future
Innovative strategies can help to improve the situation: Cities like Trencín and Vigo can benefit from the support of local governments, the collaboration with other universities, visiting-professors programmes and specialisations in well selected research fields.
While Mónica’s supervisor Juan Pou sees Vigo’s biggest potential in specialisation on selected research areas, Dušan finds hope in the installation of double-degree programmes. Since some of the international students arriving are possibly interested in staying, short-term contracts might benefit both parties involved.
It might not be possible to fully stop certain researchers from leaving. But through fostering new opportunities and forming new partnerships, others might be motivated to be received in Vigo, Trencín and many other cities, filling the empty spots. And maybe some of them are even staying for good.