On Wednesday, July 14, Club "Polet" held a forum entitled "Academic emigration - scientific research and teaching work in the country and cooperation with the diaspora". The gathering was organized by the Network of Academic Solidarity and Engagement (MASA), and the latest study on academic emigration, which was initiated by MASA, was presented. The authors of the study are Milica Vesković Anđelković from the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade, Milica Tošić, research associate at the Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, and Vladan Čokić, scientific advisor at the same institute and member of the MASE Coordination Board.
In addition to the three authors, the following also spoke at the forum:
Gordana Bjelobrk - head of the Department of Demography of the Republic Institute of Statistics,
Jelena Predojević-Despić - research associate at the Institute of Social Sciences,
Gazela Pudar Draško - director of the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory and member of the Coordination Board of MASE.
Vladan Čokić, who opened and moderated the forum, emphasized in the introductory part that through this study and the initiation of a public debate on academic emigration, MASA wanted to review and present to the general public the state of cooperation between the scientific and teaching community in Serbia with the diaspora, as well as to give suggestions on how to deepen and strengthen this cooperation at the systemic level. This study is only the first step in engaging MASE with the aim of contributing to improvements in this area.
Milica Tošić mainly spoke about the methodology of this research. She stated that a total of 1,130 researchers from the country and the diaspora filled out the survey. They answered two different questionnaires - one was intended for scientific workers from Serbia who still live abroad or have returned to the country after spending more than a year on training, and the other for those who have never left Serbia or spent less than a year outside it. The most important questions related to the motives for leaving and later return, the current state of science in our country, the current state policy in the given area, as well as satisfaction with the cooperation of domestic scientific institutions with the academic community in the diaspora.
Milica Vesković Anđelković continued her presentation, highlighting the results of the research. One of the main results is that the motives for the departure of members of the academic community from Serbia are no longer of an economic nature, but rather opportunities for improvement and the acquisition of new knowledge and contacts. Also, more than half of those who leave do not want to stay permanently in other countries, but plan their return in the short or medium period. On the other hand, of the total number of scientists who participated in the research and have not left the country so far, quite a few intend to do so, and only slightly more than 7% have taken concrete steps to that end. The research also showed that scientists in the diaspora really feel like a part of Serbia and that they are ready to invest their time and knowledge and participate in improving the state of education and science in the country they come from. Through 50%, they already cooperate in some way with faculties and institutes in Serbia, and most of the rest would do so if they had the opportunity.
Milica Vesković Anđelković reminded that academic emigration is not a new phenomenon, but dates back to the 19th century, and that people who, after acquiring knowledge at prestigious European universities, returned to Serbia, always brought new value and were the driver of development. However, in the age of the most modern technologies, the emphasis should no longer be even on return, but on cooperation and communication: "Today, we transmit information in a moment thanks to the Internet and the contacts we have. So that return to the country is not really necessary. Maybe even, if we take into account that they are gaining new knowledge and are excellent ambassadors of our country, we should not regret their departure, but we should encourage them and create good conditions for cooperation with them and their involvement in development projects in the country."
Gordana Bjelobrk, head of the Department of Demography at this institution, confirmed that the data from the study coincide with the general statistical data of the Republic Institute of Statistics. Serbia is faced with the problem of emigration, especially since the people who leave the country are on average younger and with a higher level of education compared to the total population in Serbia. However, the numbers are not as dramatic as is often mentioned in the public, because there is also a significant number of returnees.
Jelena Predojević-Despić pointed out that it is good that in the entire region in recent years there has been a stronger interest in using academic emigration as one of the drivers of scientific and social development, but that the previous policies have not had a significant effect: "All the countries of the Western Balkans have undertaken certain measures towards the migration of the highly educated, but, regardless of the fact that the importance of such measures is recognized, it cannot be said that good results have been achieved and that some development effect has been achieved in any of those countries. For now, the real winners of academic migration are only the countries of destination."
Gazela Pudar Draško spoke at this forum not only as a member of the MASE Coordination Board, but also as the director of the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, where as many as 20 out of a total of 48 scientific associates are returnees from abroad. She spoke about the biggest systemic obstacles for the return of highly educated personnel. These are: general insecurity, lack of rule of law and inability to find a job regardless of expertise. The Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory is an example of good practice in terms of hiring such staff, because the atmosphere is most reminiscent of scientific institutions in the West.
That there is a huge scope for improving the cooperation of the academic community in Serbia with the diaspora is also shown by the answers from the study, according to which over 50% respondents who are engaged in domestic scientific and educational institutions want to cooperate with their colleagues who are currently abroad, but do not have way to do it, while there is a similar percentage of respondents from the academic diaspora who are interested in contributing to the work of faculties and institutes in Serbia, but do not have a framework for this type of engagement. Such data indicate both the academic community and the state to a problem, but also to a kind of opportunity for our compatriots, who are currently studying scientifically mainly in the countries of Western Europe and North America, to give a new and different impetus to the development of teaching and scientific research activities in our country.
