Research and innovation talent circulation

International flows of R&I talent often begin during initial education and training, as individuals pursue advanced qualifications such as master's and doctoral degrees outside of their home countries. ReICO data shows that some countries are more successful than others in attracting these international students, i.e. those who have crossed a border for the purpose of education.

International mobility does not stop at graduation, however. The labour market for doctorate holders in particular is highly internationalised, more so than for other levels of tertiary education. This reflects both intense global competition for talent at the knowledge frontier and the priorities of doctorate holders themselves, who seek attractive employment conditions, opportunities to collaborate with leading researchers, and access to unique research facilities. ReICO provides comparative data on the shares of master’s and doctorate holders that are foreign born.

Looking at mobility for education and mobility for work side by side offers complementary viewpoints. Comparing the two sets of indicators can give a signal on whether countries that attract students go on to retain them, or whether preferred destinations for study and for work diverge.  

Trend data, while not available for all countries, shows that most countries have seen increases in the inflows of internationally mobile students and workforce in recent years, albeit with some exceptions. 

Amid ongoing debates about brain drain and brain gain, closely monitoring R&I talent mobility remains a priority for many countries. Available bibliometric indicators suggest that, in most cases, gross flows of talent between countries far exceed net flows, pointing to a "circulation" paradigm rather than a one-way drain. Even so, some countries have experienced significant net losses over time, often when domestic conditions worsen relative to those available elsewhere.

National policymakers and researchers are also often interested in how far scientific authors travel for mobility, whether to neighbouring countries or to destinations on other continents. Data on bilateral flows, based on bibliometrics, shed light on this, showing not only how many researchers leave or arrive but where they come from and where they go, and whether movement tends to stay within a region or is more global in nature.