‘BRAIN DRAIN’ REPORT HIGHLIGHTS NEED TO NURTURE NEXT GENERATION OF RESEARCHERS
8 September 2004
The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) on Wednesday welcomed the launch of a report into the factors behind the brain drain of skilled scientists, technologists and engineers from Australia, and its central observation that much more needs to be done to support our research community and nurture the next generation of researchers.
The report, Beyond Brain Drain: Mobility, Competitiveness and Scientific Excellence, launched in Canberra today, examines the domestic and international factors for why nearly one million Australians now live and work overseas, including many of our best and brightest scientists and technologists.
“The NTEU hopes that this report helps trigger a much needed debate into the reasons why many of these people leave, and the policies needed to retain our best and brightest scientists,” said Dr Carolyn Allport, NTEU President.
“This is an issue of great importance given that Australia’s future economic competitiveness rests on fostering a vibrant and innovative research culture, particularly in our universities where the bulk of the nation’s research effort takes place.”
“Media reports have already claimed that Australia is facing a shortage of approximately 75,000 scientists by 2010, particularly in areas such as chemistry, physics and mathematics.”
“The report also highlights the rhetoric versus the reality of the current Government’s commitment to knowledge and innovation.”
“In terms of funding, the Backing Australia’s Ability II package released by the Government at the May Budget leaves universities in a holding pattern and did nothing to reverse our declining expenditure on research and development relative to our main OECD competitors.”
“The other crucial factor in the context of the debate about brain drain, is that the Government is offering little to generate and encourage the next generation of researchers, whether it be increased funding for basic research, increased places for postgraduate students or assistance to early career researchers.”
“This matters given that we have an aging academic workforce, with the Government’s own figures showing that 72% of academic staff are over 40 and 39% are over 50.”
“The NTEU also welcomes the report’s emphasis on the importance of increasing funding university infrastructure.”
“The NTEU urges Labor to release its research and innovation policy as soon as possible so that the university sector has time to study and compare it with what the Coalition has offered,” said Dr Allport.
For comment:
Andrew Nette, NTEU Policy and Research Coordinator: 0438 026 277