U.S. Diasporas and Their Impacts on Homeland Technological and Socioeconomic Development: How Does Sub-Sahara Africa Compare?

Author: Patterson, Rubin

Source: Perspectives on Global Development and Technology, Volume 4, Number 1, 2005 , pp. 83-123(41)

Publisher: BRILL

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Abstract:

More science and technology talented nationals emigrate to the United States from a few Asian countries, by far, than from all of Africa, yet only the latter suffers a "brain drain" whereas the former group experiences net gains as a result of "brain circulation." Brain drain is the one-way flow of talent out of countries where it is most needed in absolute terms (south) to locations where it is most needed in productive terms (the West). The paper finds that, unlike African nations, a number of Asian nations have a brain circulation or technical talent continuously cycling out of the homeland into the United States where the talent is amplified and wealth is generated as the homeland state encourages redirection of some of each to the homeland economy. In these instances, the homeland state and the US-based diaspora work collaboratively in the interest of both. African nations experience little of this brain circulation, partially as a result of weak diaspora—homeland collaborative development agendas. The principal proposition clarified in this comparative analytic project is that developing nations with ongoing collaborative technology development agendas between the homeland state and its US-based diaspora have a huge comparative advantage over those developing nations that do not.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1569150053888245

Publication date: 2005-03-01