How to Stop the Brain-Drain and Start to Brain-Gain?

The brain-drain processes in developing economies, such as Bulgaria, have been extremely intense for quite some time.

In the same time, those countries, if implementing the right set of policies, and enabling the key stakeholders to deliver value, can achieve astonishing results. Especially in times when even countries such as Spain (“Spain’s brain drain ‘worst in Western Europe“) and Germany (“Germany’s brain drain is Europe’s gain“), are reported to face the same issues and difficulties.

In contrast with some of the most developed economies, which are a subject of massive corporate offshoring to near and best-shore locations, in the last decade or so, Bulgaria (and other countries of its proportions) proved their capacity to benefit from such processes. Just a few weeks ago, it was announced that Bulgaria is the single European country in the Top 10 Outsourcing destinations list worldwide.

Still, there is a long way for Bulgaria to go, if it is to sustainably solve the brain-drain problem and win the future for itself through brain-gain approach, in a highly competitive and ever more globalizing world. Because once a low-cost location, each economy is doomed to lose this competitive advantage at some point in time with the progression of its economic growth.

The main point – there is no one-size-fits-all-solution to the brain-drain problem and the brain-gain challenge, demanding for shared stakeholders’ responsibility, efforts and innovative approach.

Those were the topics we touched, in our talk with Stoycho Kerev on “Point of View” TV Programme, were I was invited as a public policy expert at Brain Workshop Institute, to speak on the most recent developments in the area.

I gave some policy guidance, focusing on enabling the key stakeholders to contribute and network, free from the bureaucratic burden of the state, and also provided examples from my personal and professional background.

Back in 2013, for a relatively short period of time, I had the unique opportunity to work with, and provide regional support to, Cobden Partners‘ international team of renowned public finance and economic experts, while based in Sofia. Again in Sofia, in 2014 I engaged with Sofica Group and Hewlett-Packard, supporting the Strategy and Transformation team of HP Enterprise Services – Applications & Business Services in EMEA, with a primary scope of work in the area of Information Management and Internal Communications.

My main point was that in an open and healthy economy you can achieve a successful professional career from wherever, and instead of investing in heavy, expensive state-funded programmes, institutions should primary focus their efforts on economic growth enablement. At least, this is what counts in the end, right?

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The interview is in Bulgarian. You can also find here another talk of mine on the subject, on TV7 Channel,  where we primary focus on the problem with the young medics who are leaving the country right after graduation. This is also a matter of public finance mismanagement as there are up to 30 000$ in public funds invested in the education of each and every health professional.