The Elite Brain Drain

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Hunter, Rosalind S.; Oswald, Andrew J.; Charlton, Bruce G.
• 署名单位: University of Warwick; University of Newcastle
• 刊物名称: ECONOMIC JOURNAL
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0013-0133
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-0297.2009.02274.x
• 发表日期: 2009
• 页码: F231-F251
• 关键词: MIGRATION; science; journals; index

摘要

We collect data on the movement and productivity of elite scientists. Their mobility is remarkable: nearly half of the world's most-cited physicists work outside their country of birth. We show they migrate systematically towards nations with large R & D spending. Our study cannot adjudicate on whether migration improves scientists' productivity, but we find that movers and stayers have identical h-index citations scores. Immigrants in the UK and US now win Nobel Prizes proportionately less often than earlier. US residents' h-indexes are relatively high. We describe a framework where a key role is played by low mobility costs in the modern world.