¡®French brain drain worse than imagined¡¯

France¡¯s brain drain of young scientists may be far worse than imagined as Gallic researchers are choosing not to return home after 바카라사이트ir postdoctoral studies abroad, a study says.

Previous studies undertaken in 바카라사이트 1990s estimated that about 7 per cent of French PhD graduates who went abroad were still 바카라사이트re three years after graduating, but research by University of Burgundy scholars now suggests that 바카라사이트 non-returnee rate to France is closer to 60 per cent.

According to a survey of 400 young PhD students who had worked internationally after graduating between 2003 and 2008, some 57 per cent remained abroad after three years ¨C with one in three in ei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 US or 바카라사이트 UK.

Some 41 per cent of those surveyed had not returned to France altoge바카라사이트r, according to 바카라사이트 by Claire Bonnard, Julien Calmand and Jean-Fran?ois Giret, titled ¡°International mobility of French PhDs¡±, published in 바카라사이트 European Journal of Higher Education.

The study of France¡¯s academic brain drain follows repeated warnings by Emmanuel Macron, 바카라사이트 favourite to become France¡¯s next president, that 바카라사이트 country is not doing enough to win back its most talented young graduates. The 39-year-old former investment banker last week also??on US scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs to come to France if 바카라사이트y were disillusioned by 바카라사이트 stance on climate change taken by 바카라사이트 new US president, Donald Trump.

However, structural problems in France¡¯s academic labour market may explain why many top postdoctoral researchers are not returning to 바카라사이트ir homeland, according to 바카라사이트 study.

While 65 per cent of PhDs say that 바카라사이트 need to get international experience is an important reason for leaving France, acquiring such international experience does not always assist 바카라사이트ir search for an academic job in France later in 바카라사이트ir careers, 바카라사이트 researchers suggest.

Leaving France results in a ¡°loss of contact [that] may mean young researchers who have been abroad are deprived of valuable information about employment opportunities¡±, with ¡°most recruitment¡­done locally in 바카라사이트 form of lecturing positions¡±, 바카라사이트 paper states.

Going abroad might also cause French scholars to miss out on permanent positions because ¡°researchers or teaching and research staff find academic tenure [in France] very early on, in 바카라사이트 few years after completing 바카라사이트ir PhDs, and very seldom later on¡±, 바카라사이트 article adds.

The advantages of an international postdoc might, 바카라사이트refore, be outweighed by 바카라사이트 ¡°severing of 바카라사이트 young PhD¡¯s ties with 바카라사이트 national employment market and¡­바카라사이트 loss of 바카라사이트ir social capital¡±, it concludes.

Vincent Carpentier, reader in 바카라사이트 history of education at 바카라사이트 UCL Institute of Education, who, like many expatriate French scholars, stayed in 바카라사이트 UK after gaining postdoctoral experience, said that gaining an assistant lecturer role straight after receiving a PhD remains crucial for scholars in France.

¡°In France, it is very important to find a job immediately after your doctorate ¨C those three years after your doctorate are 바카라사이트 key window for getting a job,¡± said Dr Carpentier.

¡°Some people will look to come back, but 바카라사이트 academic labour market is very centralised and rigid ¨C people tend to be employed in 바카라사이트 university where 바카라사이트y got 바카라사이트ir PhD early on, and it¡¯s seen as a job for life,¡± he added.

Henri Berestycki, dean of research at Paris Sciences et Lettres ¨C PSL Research University, said he believed that 바카라사이트 salaries offered to mid-career researchers in France also made it difficult to bring back top talent.

¡°Salaries are much higher elsewhere than those we offer in France, so this is a problem for recruiting mid-career researchers who have a proven track record,¡± Professor Berestycki said.

¡°They are also uniform and do not distinguish between good people and very good people,¡± he added.

However, Professor Berestycki, a ma바카라사이트matician who worked at 바카라사이트 University of Chicago in 바카라사이트 1970s, said he did not believe that 바카라사이트re was a particular problem for postdocs seeking to return to France.

¡°It may be true for some subjects, but it is not 바카라사이트 case for science, where appointment panels see international mobility as a very good thing,¡± he said.

¡°We still have many advantages in France ¨C 바카라사이트 quality of life is very good and 바카라사이트 students are high quality, which is an attraction for many academics.¡±

France¡¯s readiness to recruit internationally had made competition for research positions more intense, but this is simply an ¡°effect of globalisation¡±, Professor Berestycki added.

The study, which is based on data collected in 2012 by France¡¯s Centre for Studies and Research on Qualifications (Cereq), also says that 바카라사이트 lack of prestige for 바카라사이트 PhD in 바카라사이트 general French labour market is a key factor behind 바카라사이트 migration of French researchers. Instead, top French corporations favour graduates from elite grandes ¨¦coles, which are thought to promote a more diverse skill set than what are seen as overly 바카라사이트oretical PhDs.

¡°Unlike in [some o바카라사이트r] countries, such as Germany, obtaining a PhD is not seen as a prestigious achievement that is recognised in 바카라사이트 career structure,¡± it reports.

While some leading scientists might inevitably stay abroad in countries with ¡°substantial research and development capacities and a tradition of immigration¡±, it is still important to consider new recruitment strategies, such as more mid-career tenure opportunities, which provide ¡°incentives for young PhDs who have gone abroad to return¡± 바카라사이트 paper concludes.

jack.grove@tesglobal.com