Brain Drain Croatia

Brain Drain and the Academic and
Intellectual Labour Market in Croatia

Greta Pifat-Mrzljak
Luka Juro
Vlasta Vizek Vidovi
Ruer Bokovi Institute, Zagreb
UNESCO Chair in Governance and Management of Higher Education, University of Zagreb
Croatia Facts and Figures
Population: 4,37 million

6 universities, 7 polytechnics
17 independent post-secondary schools (11 of
them private)
28 public research institutes
System of higher education employs 9,570
people
Public research institutes employ 1,475 people
Higher education graduates make 7.3% of the
total population
Pifat-Mrzljak, Juro,
Higher education profile 1971-2001

Year
% in total
population
1971
Number of persons
with higher
education
74,376
1981
131,937
3.60
1991
204,066
5.30
2001
267,995
7.27
2.20
Source: Central Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Croatia, 2001, www.dzs.hr
Number of scientists and

researchers in 2003
Total
In research organisations
Outside
organisations
Retired
research
TOTAL
10,16
1
3,679
2,325
16,16
5
Source: Ministry of Science, Education and Sport, 2004
Structure of scientists and

researchers in 2003
2889
3000
2500
Natural Sciences
Technical Sciences and
Engineering
2113 1941
2000
Biomedicine and Health

1378
1500
1000
1202
Biotechnical Sciences
638
Social Sciences
500
Humanities
Human potential in R&D activities in

public institutions in 2003
Employment in science in 1998
Scientific production by number of cited

texts (1998)
Proportion of state budget for science in

GDP
Budget structure for science and

higher education (in millions of kuna)
Ministry of Science and Technology

expenditure in 2003
1/3
of total funds
allocated to science
60% allocated to
higher education
Sources of funding for research and

development in 1998
Number of junior researchers in 2003

Scientific areas
Total
Natural sciences
449
Engineering
486
Biomedicine and health
Types
institutions
Public institutes
of
499
374
Higher
education
institutions
1,526
Biotechnical
178
Other institutions
138
Social sciences
353
Humanities
323
Total number of
junior researchers:
2,163
Scholarship exchanges on the basis

of bilateral programmes from Croatia
Year
Number
scholarships
of
2000
130
337
2001
145
606
2002
143
603
Number
of
research months
Student enrolments in 2002/03 by

scientific disciplines
Number of graduates from HE

institutions 1991-2000
Total number of graduates: 105,535
14000
12000
10000
8000
6000
4000
Students
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
8680
7856
8275
8394
9298
11461 11460 13286 13315
2000
13510
Prospective students in
academic year 2004/2005
University and professional studies at
Total
University of Zagreb
13,551
University of Osijek
4,879
University of Rijeka
5,830
University of Split
8,136
University of Zadar
1,005
University of Dubrovnik
900
TOTAL
34,301
2001
1996
Field of study
1991
INTERFACULTY
PROGRAMMES
SOCIAL
SCIENCES
NATURE
SCIENCES
HUMANITIES
ENGINEERING
BIOTECHNICAL
SCIENCES
BIOMEDICINE
ART
Number of students
Number of undergraduate students

at University of Zagreb
20000
15000
10000
5000
Number of full-time employed staff

at University of Zagreb
2000
1500
1000
500
1991
SOCIAL
SCIENCES
1996
NATURE
SCIENCES
HUMANITIES
2001
ENGINEERING
BIOTECHNICAL
SCIENCES
BIOMEDICINE
ART
Potential migrations of young

scientists 1990-2000
Young
scientists
1990
Young
scientists
1998
Young
scientists
2000
Young scientists
with offers to go
abroad
Potential base
for brain drain
78.7%
56.0%
66.7%
21.7%
Decided to go
abroad
11.7%
7.3%
2.4%
2.4%
TOTAL
24.1%
Source: M. Adamovi, 2003
Brain drain of Croatian scientists

by disciplines and titles 1990-2000
Natural
sciences
244
PhD
346
40.75%
Technical
sciences
249
MSc
319
37.57%
Biomedicine
139
Young
scientists
184
21.67%
Others
217
TOTAL
849
Source: "Veernji list" January 19, 2001; M. Adamovi, 2003
Statistical estimation on number of

persons with high education leaving Croatia
Estimation conducted by Ministry of Science and
Technology
The difference between number of graduates and the
actual increase in number of HE persons is 30,000
Number of brain drain was estimated by calculating
proportion in total mortality in the period
Proportions taken: 5%, 4%, 3% in total mortality
Possible brain drain rates: 4.5% (min), 8.9%, 13.2% (max)
Molecular biology degrees profile

1985-2000
Acad. year
Students
Graduates
MSc
PhD
91/92
92/93
93/94
94/95
95/96
96/97
97/98
98/99
99/00
Total
Percentage
30
44
44
43
40
47
51
53
27
44
39
37
34
42
35
14
3
483
82
9
10
7
3
?
?
?
?
?
6
10
7
2
?
?
?
?
?
589
Brain drain of molecular biologists

Graduated
up to
1996/97 432
Working in
Croatia 249 or
57.6%
Working abroad
(brain drain)
166 or 38.3%
Brain drain countries
Number
USA
34
Germany
34
Switzerland
39
Austria
16
Great Britain
France
12
Italy
Sweden
Serbia
the Netherlands, Spain,

Canada, Belgium, Macedonia,
Slovenia, Australia
10
Total
166
Number of graduated MD students

and their brain drain
Year
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
Total
No. of students
317
320
312
277
255
240
251
1971
Brain drain MDs
MDs studying abroad
9
19
8
10
3
1
1
51
1
1
1
0
1
0
0
4
2.8
Another survey shows that 403 MDs applied for documents for
travel abroad in the last 10 years
Number of graduated pharmacy

students and their brain drain
Year
No. graduates
Brain drain
1993/94
1994/95
1995/96
1996/97
1997/98
1998/99
1999/00
2000/01
2001/02
2002/03
TOTAL
48
73
71
90
94
117
122
118
154
132
1019
0
6
1
0
1
3
1
1
1
1
15
Studying abroad
Other
2
1
3
2.0
Distribution of mining engineers

in the period of 1993-2003
Category
No. of graduates
1
2
3
TOTAL
214
13
15
1
28
Percentage
6.0
7.0
13.0
1 Brain drain of mining engineers

2 Engineers who worked in Croatia and then went abroad
3 Brain gain
Number of graduated electrical engineering

students and their brain drain
Year
No. of graduates
Brain drain
Studying abroad
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
Total
400
520
469
460
432
532
443
442
388
4090
12
20
16
18
16
10
7
0
3
102
1
1
0
1
0
0
3
1
0
7
3.0
3.8
3.4
3.9
2.7
1.9
1.6
0.8
2.6
Almae Matris Alumni Societies

Established in 1990 at University of Zagreb
16 AMAC societies throughout the world today
(AMAC Mundus) and 16 in Croatia (AMAC Domus)

9 societies in the process of formation
AMAC bulletin published in 10,000 copies
Convention of all AMAC societies is due in Zagreb
June 30 July 3
http://www.unizg.hr/amac/prob.htm
Geographical distribution of
Croatian scientists abroad
Country
Number of
scientists
Country
Number of
scientists
USA
Germany
Canada
Switzerland
France
UK
Austria
Australia
Argentina
Italy
Sweden
Netherlands
466
143
84
75
50
39
37
34
16
16
15
12
Bosnia and Herzegovina

Chile
Slovenia
Norway
Denmark
Belgium
Mexico
Israel
Hungary
Venezuela
Peru
7
7
6
4
4
4
3
3
2
2
2
12
Greece, Iceland, Brasil, Kenya, Nepal,

Liechtenstein, Taiwan, Monaco, Japan,
Hong Kong, Serbia, Malta
Total
1033
Congress of Croatian scientists

from homeland and abroad
Due in November 2004 in Zagreb and Vukovar,
organised by Ministry of Science, Education and Sport

Bringing together Croatian scientists across the world
Promoting individual networking and institutional
cooperation
Workshops and discussions
http://www.mzos.hr/pkhz/
Measures and strategies for

solving the brain drain problem
Significantly increase investment in science

Define and employ measures and procedures to transform brain
drain into brain gain and brain circulation
Encourage international cooperation in science and higher
education
Emphasize the importance of science for the development of
Croatia
Establish the economic and social measures to be implemented
for improvement of the role of knowledge in Croatian society
Involve alumni into Alma Mater activities
Use the potential of the scientific diaspora
Conclusion
Case study of brain drain in Croatia determined three facts:
There currently exists no systematic monitoring of brain drain and
labour migration market. This could escalate into a significant
problem as seen in the case of molecular biologists.
Academic labour market is influenced by the quality of environment
for scientific work and the opportunity for scientific development
interest expressed by Croatian scientists abroad and AMAC
societies shows significant potential for reinvestment of human
scientific resources
Policy proposal: to use the EHEA and ERA trends, diaspora and
AMAC potentials to build a sustainable and effective system of
brain drain monitoring and management in Croatia.
Web sites
Ruer Bokovi Institute, Zagreb
www.irb.hr
UNESCO Chair in Governance and
Management of Higher Education, University
of Zagreb
www.unizg.hr/unesco
unescoch@unizg.hr

Brain Drain Croatia

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Brain Drain Croatia

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Brain Drain and the Academic and

Intellectual Labour Market in Croatia

Croatia Facts and Figures

Population: 4,37 million

Higher education profile 1971-2001

Source: Central Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Croatia, 2001, www.dzs.hr

Number of scientists and

Source: Ministry of Science, Education and Sport, 2004

Structure of scientists and

Biomedicine and Health

Human potential in R&D activities in

Employment in science in 1998

Scientific production by number of cited

Proportion of state budget for science in

Budget structure for science and

Ministry of Science and Technology

Sources of funding for research and

Number of junior researchers in 2003

Biomedicine and health

Scholarship exchanges on the basis

Student enrolments in 2002/03 by

Number of graduates from HE

Total number of graduates: 105,535

11461 11460 13286 13315

Number of undergraduate students

Number of full-time employed staff

Potential migrations of young

Source: M. Adamovi, 2003

Brain drain of Croatian scientists

Source: "Veernji list" January 19, 2001; M. Adamovi, 2003

Statistical estimation on number of

Molecular biology degrees profile

Brain drain of molecular biologists

Brain drain countries

the Netherlands, Spain,

Number of graduated MD students

Brain drain MDs

MDs studying abroad

Number of graduated pharmacy

Distribution of mining engineers

1 Brain drain of mining engineers

Number of graduated electrical engineering

Almae Matris Alumni Societies

(AMAC Mundus) and 16 in Croatia (AMAC Domus)

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Greece, Iceland, Brasil, Kenya, Nepal,

Congress of Croatian scientists

organised by Ministry of Science, Education and Sport

Measures and strategies for

Significantly increase investment in science

You might also like