Brain drain on the rise among Greek graduates

The dire economic situation in Greece is facing a further challenge, as the country loses increasing numbers of their best and brightest to top universities and careers outside the country.  

By Katherine Dunn

Greek graduates are increasingly leaving their home country for opportunities abroad.

Greece’s top brains are increasingly staying away from home soil, as a lack of opportunity and an outdated development model force their talents abroad, according to a study released by the University of Macedonia in February of this year. 

Lois Labrianidis, the economist at the Thessaloniki university who led the research team, determined that a high number of Greeks living abroad have advanced degrees, a trend that has been on the rise since the 1990s. 

-          Of those living abroad, only 20% of those interviewed had a bachelor’s degree. 73% had a master’s degree and 51% had a PhD.

 

-          41% of those had degrees from one of the top 100 universities in the world. No Greek universities are on this list.

 

-          More than 60% did not even try to find a job in Greece.

 

-          These Greeks are spread across 74 countries, with the largest numbers in Britain and the US.  17% are in London alone, with 4% in New York. 

While a university degree usually increases the chances of employment, Labrianidis says that in Greece this is not always the case. Jobs often do not exist for those with advanced degrees in an economy based around service and tourism, not research and development. 

“In fact, the more qualifications you have . . . it’s more difficult to find a job,” he said. 

But while the trend is not new, it will undoubtedly have an effect on the numbers of Greeks leaving. 

“It’s more than certain that this will increase because of the crisis.” 

Affects are not just economic

Dimitris Xygalatas has seen plenty of evidence of Greek graduates leaving the country. He left his hometown of Thessaloniki first as an undergraduate student, studying in Denmark with the Erasmus program. He later completed his PhD in anthropology at Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland. 

He now works at the University of Aarhus as an anthropologist and translator, and doesn’t plan to return to Greece, where he says his opportunities were limited. The current financial crisis has only solidified his decision. 

“People are very frustrated. Right now Greece is in a state of collective panic,” Xygalatas said. “This is leading a lot of young people to moving out, or especially the young people who have studied abroad, [they] just don’t come back.” 

Brain drain also has social and political affects for Greek society.

And the impact of those absent graduates is felt not only on the Greek economy, says Labrianidis, but also in the social and political life. 

If Greece is to retain its graduates, the development model must shift to one which values investment, he said. If the best and brightest were convinced to return, their experience in academics, work, and living abroad could have a profound impact on the country. 

“If people decide to return back, they will influence how the whole society works.” 

When that would be, however, remains to be seen.

http://greekgeneration.wordpress.com/what-happened-to-the-generation-700-e/brain-drain-on-the-rise-among-greek-graduates/