Workshop on the International Mobility of Researchers, 28 March 2007

OECD Committee for Scientific and Technological Policy (CSTP)
&
Steering and Funding of Research Institutions (SFRI)

Workshop on the International Mobility of Researchers

28 March 2007
International Energy Agency (IEA)
9, rue de la Fédération, 75015 Paris, France 

Background | Objectives | Programme and presentations

Background

Across the OECD, there is growing demand for a better understanding of the scale, direction and drivers of the international mobility of scientific and technical talent. An increasing number of countries are implementing policy measures to attract foreign researchers and to facilitate their access to the labour market. However, competition for skilled researchers is increasing, and policy makers need to be concerned with measures both to attract researchers and to retain them. There has been an increase in return flows to some countries, especially to non-OECD member countries such as China and India as well as to OECD countries like Ireland who are actively courting expatriate researchers. In addition, some OECD countries have developed policy measures to promote the temporary outward flow of students and researchers to enhance international mobility and ‘brain circulation’.

Objectives

The aims of this one-day workshop were to:

• assess the stocks and flows of researcher mobility in OECD and certain non-member countries;
• analyse the policy options for enhancing the international mobility of researchers at the national and institutional level; and
• examine the policy options for designing researcher mobility schemes that can build research capacity in both OECD countries and non-member economies.

Programme and presentations

Welcome and Opening

• Mr. Akira Yoshikawa, Deputy Director-General, S&T Policy Bureau, MEXT, Japan
• Mr. John Dryden, Deputy Director, Directorate for Science, Technology and Industry, OECD

Session 1: The scale, direction and drivers of the international mobility of researchers

Chair: Dr. Shinichi Yamamoto, Member of the JSPS University International Strategy Council, Hiroshima University, Japan
Discussant: Dr. Franco Malerba, Science and Technology Advisor, Italian Permanent Delegation to OECD

• The International Mobility of Researchers: Recent Trends and Policy Initiatives
  Ester Basri, Science and Technology Policy Division, OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Industry 
• International Mobility of Researchers
  Dr. Andrew Dearing, Secretary General, European Industrial Research Management Association
• The Max Planck Society: Research at the Frontier of Knolwedge
  Dr. Berthold Neizert, Head of Division, International Relations, Max Planck Society, Germany
• Brain Circulation: The Complex National Effects of High-Skilled Migration
  Dr. Mark Regets, National Science Foundation, USA

Session 2: Issues and options for enhancing the international mobility of researchers

Chair: Dr. Sveva Avveduto, National Research Council, Italy
Discussant: Prof. Hiroshi Ota, JSPS Research Advisor, Hitotsubashi University, Japan

• International Mobility of HRST in China: Barriers and Policy Implications
  Prof. Rongping Mu, Director-general, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
• In, Into, or Out of India? - The Mobility of the Finished and Semi-finished Human Capital
  Prof. Binod Khadria, Nehru University, New Delhi, India
• Issues and Options for Enhancing the International Mobility of Researchers: An Australian Perspective
  Prof. Graeme Hugo, University of Adelaide, Australia
• International Mobility of Researchers: Challenges and Chances
  Dr. Ulrike Albrecht, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany
• A European Labour Market for Researchers: Europe's Open Strategy on Human Resources in R&D 
  Mr. Cornelis Vis, Directorate European Research Area, European Commission

Session 3: International experiences: case studies of national and institutional policies

Chair: Mr. Luis Sanz Menendez, Ministry of Education and Science, Spain
Discussant: Mr. François Sauvé, Canada Research Chairs Program, Canada

• Transnational Cooperation in Faculty Mobility: Kyushu University's Strategy for Asia
  Dr. Masaharu Yanagihara, Vice President, Kyushu University, Japan
• International Mobility: Threat to Opportunity - A South African Case Study 
  Mr. Dhesigen Naidoo, Department of Science and Technology, South Africa
• Two Systems for Following the Mobility of Researchers towards France
  Dr. Antony Mauvais, Director of the Fondation Nationale Alfred Kastler, France
• Policy and Approach for Enhancing the International Mobility of Researchers: The Korean Case
  Dr. Myungsoo Park, Research Fellow, Science and Technology Policy Institute, Korea
• The International Mobility of Researchers: The Potential of Norwegian Register Data
  Dr. Anders Ekeland, Norwegian Institute for Studies of Education, Research and Innovation, Norway

Policy roundtable

Chair: Dr. Roger Ridley, Ministry of Research, Science and Technology, New Zealand

Policy overview and outcomes

• Mr. William Thorn, Counsellor, Education, Science and Training, Australia
• Dr. Shinichi Yamamoto, Hiroshima University, Japan
• Mr. Mark Beatson, Office of Science and Innovation, Department of Trade and Industry, UK
• Dr. Andrew Dearing, Secretary General, European Industrial Research Management Association

Looking into the future

• Mr. Dirk Pilat, OECD

Discussion and close

Last update: 11 April 2007

For further information, contact Ester Basri (ester.basri@oecd.org)