In recent years, Nepal has been confronted with the phenomenon of “human capital flight”, in fact the number of young graduates leaving the country continues to grow. This phenomenon is known as “brain drain” and indicates the emigration in pursuit of better opportunities in foreign countries of highly qualified young people who have been formed in their native country.
There are several causes of the brain drain, such as the lack of job opportunities for highly qualified people. Furthermore, there are economic motivations, as adequate salaries are often not offered. Or there are professional motivations, the chosen specialization does not have real possibilities to promote and develop their profession at homeland. Many other factors can influence the brain drain, including economic and political instability, which often result in limiting the development of many employment sectors.
Through globalisation, it is possible to work and study abroad, allowing to expand personal technical and empirical knowledge. The problem arises when many of the country’s best minds decide to no longer return home, for the reasons mentioned above. This causes a deficit to the native country, depriving it of highly qualified personnel.
The most recent data from the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology show a gradual growth in annual applications for study abroad: in 2011 there were around 12,000 students abroad with NOC (No Objection Certificate), while the data for 2022 record more than 82,000.Most of these applications request a placement in Australia, followed by Japan and in third position the United States, and lastly India.The protagonists of this diaspora are mainly young men between the ages of 20 and 35 with a university education.
Additionally, Nepal is not only suffering from the emigration of high-skilled human capital, but also low-skilled human capital. Meaning, a lower middle class with no qualifications who emigrate from Nepal in search of work. Often working abroad as cheap labourers.Although it is a different phenomenon, these two types of emigration abroad, that of educated young people and that of lowly labourers, bring out the problem of the exodus of youth that plagues Nepal.
Problems of brain drains in Nepal:
The consequences caused by the brain drain are multiple : an economic decline of the country, a decrease in qualified personnel, loss of innovation and loss of growth potential of local companies, therefor limiting Nepal’s development.To confirm the previous thesis, a series of interviews were conducted with young university students in their twenties. Most of them say they want to move either to the United States or Australia to continue their studies or search for a job in the future. The main reason is that the salary In Nepal is too low compared to their education. In recent years, students also perceive a statistical increase in those who move abroad. The younger generation moves mainly for financial and economic reasons, but partly also because they want to travel and get to know the world outside Nepal.
The problem in Nepal, according to the interviewees, is the economic instability that does not guarantee certainty for the future.
There are solutions to this phenomenon: first of all, the educational qualifications of young people need to be recognised and wages need to be adapted to them: wages need to be rise for the professions that require a high level of training, salaries are currently too low.
Secondly, it would be useful to promote youth empowerment programmes, in which young people are facilitated to start their own business inside their homeland. This could be accompanied by an awareness-raising campaign on the socio-economic conditions in Nepal, so that juveniles understand the necessity of their presence within the country.
All these possible solutions have potential, but only in a country that guarantees a certain economic and political stability. Nepal must therefore increase its attractiveness for young people by improving the benefits for those who decide to stay in the country.
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