Nil Demet Güngör

Brain Drain from Turkey: An Investigation of Students' Return Intentions

The emigration of skilled individuals from Turkey attracted greater media attention and the interest of policymakers in Turkey, particularly after the experience of recurrent economic crises that have led to an increase in unemployment among the highly educated young. This study estimates a model of return intentions using a data set compiled from an Internet survey of Turkish students residing abroad. The findings of this study indicate that, as expected, higher salaries offered in the host country and lifestyle preferences, including a more organized environment in the host country, increase the probability of student nonreturn. However, the analysis also points to the importance of prior return intentions and the role of the family in the decision to return to Turkey or stay overseas. It is also found that the compulsory service requirement attached to government scholarships increases the probability of student return. Turkish student association membership also increases return intentions. Longer stay durations, on the other hand, decrease the probability of return. These findings have important policy implications.

Brain drain from Turkey: the case of professionals abroad

The paper presents research findings on the return intentions of Turkish professionals residing abroad. The study uses a descriptive framework to establish the validity of several proposed models of non-return. The results are based on an internet survey of Turkish professionals abroad. Correspondence analysis is used to examine the relationship between return intentions and various factors that may affect this intention. The results emphasize the importance of student non-return versus traditional brain and appear to complement the various theories of student non-return. The respondents appear to come from relatively well-to-do families with highly educated parents. Many have earned their degrees from universities that have foreign language instruction. The recent economic crises in Turkey have negatively affected return intentions. We verify that return intentions are indeed linked closely with initial return plans, and that this relationship weakens with stay duration. Specialized study and work experience in the host country also all appear to contribute to explaining the incidence of non-return. Return intentions are weaker for those working in an academic environment. These results lead to important policy implications, some of which include the training of individuals for academic positions at domestic institutions, supporting study abroad for shorter periods and improving academic facilities in Turkeys newly established universities. The government may support public and private R&D centers to increase the employability of returnees, but also to improve the quality of the higher education system in order to both reduce the need for education abroad and to increase the attractiveness of universities as prospective employment places for those acquiring education and experience abroad.

Gender effects of education on economic development in Turkey

Several recent empirical studies have examined the gender effects of education on economic growth or on steady-state level of output using the much exploited, familiar cross-country data in order to determine their quantitative importance and the direction of correlation. This paper undertakes a similar study of the gender effects of education using province level data for Turkey. The main findings indicate that female education positively and significantly affects the steady-state level of labor productivity, while the effect of male education is in general either positive or insignificant. Separate examination of the effect of educational gender gap was negative on output. The results are found to be robust to a number of sensitivity analyses, such as elimination of outlier observations, controls for simultaneity and measurement errors, controls for omitted variables by including regional dummy variables, steady-state versus growth equations and considering different samples.

Gender Effects of Education on Economic Development in Turkey

Several recent empirical studies have examined the gender effects of education on economic growth or on steady-state level of output using the much exploited, familiar cross-country data in order to determine their quantitative importance and the direction of correlation. This paper undertakes a similar study of the gender effects of education using province level data for Turkey. The main findings indicate that female education positively and significantly affects the steady-state level of labor productivity, while the effect of male education is in general either positive or insignificant. Separate examination of the effect of educational gender gap was negative on output. The results are found to be robust to a number of sensitivity analyses, such as elimination of outlier observations, controls for simultaneity and measurement errors, controls for omitted variables by including regional dummy variables, steady-state versus growth equations and considering different samples.

Türkiye’den “Beyin Göçü”: Yurda Dönmeyen Öğrencilere İlişkin Anket Sonuçları

Turkiye’den ilk beyin gocu dalgasi 1960’larda basladi. Ilk gocenler doktorlar ve muhendisler oldu. Son yillarda dikkatler, yasanmakta olan iktisadi bunalim sonucunda meslek yasamlarina yurt disinda baslamayi ciddi bicimde dusunmekte olan, universiteyi yeni bitirmis genclere cevrildi. Bu amaci gerceklestirmek isteyenlerin pek cogu icin yurt disinda lisans ustu ogrenim ilk adimi olusturuyor. Bu arastirma, yurt disinda okuyan Turk ogrencilerin geri donme niyetleri konusunda, 2002 yilinin ilk yarisinda yapilmis bir anketin sonuclari ustune bir degerlendirme ortaya koymaktadir. Ogrencilerin geri donmeyisinde onemli olduguna isaret edilen cesitli etkenler arasinda siyasal duraysizlik, ucretlerin dusuklugu ve ogrenimin tamamlandigi anayurtta is olanaklarinin azligi yaninda, yurt disinda yasamayi yeglemek de bulunmaktadir. Turkiye’den beyin gocunu aciklamada, bu etkenlere ek olarak Turkiye’nin iktisadinin baska bazi ozellikleri de ele alinmaktadir.