Reverse brain drain

Every year Pakistan sends thousands of teachers to the developed world for PhD research. But it is generally observed that many of them either do not wish to return or if they do come back and join their parent universities find it difficult to readjust in the local environment. They encounter many difficulties like petty politics in their endeavour to benefit the system from the expertise they acquired in foreign lands.

Therefore, the government, HEC and universities should provide such scholars with an enabling environment with a view to utilising their potential to the maximum. Otherwise, many of them would fly off to the US and other developed countries once their contractual obligations are completed. And this is happening. Hence, scholarships and faculty development programmes initiated by the HEC have been indirectly serving as a source of brain drain. There is a need to focus on this crucial issue. It is time to take corrective measures to avoid losing talented scholars to advanced countries.

Muhammad Yasir Kayani

Kasur