Abstract

A theory often advanced is that the ‘brain drain’ of third world graduates to the first world generates a high income of foreign currency, and that this income contributes to the development of third world, In this paper, however, we put forward the theory that semi/unskilled emigrants currently contribute the higher income of foreign currency. Although the highly skilled group may earn higher wages, they do not necessarily send large remittances back to the third world, mainly because they have settled into a good life in the country to which they have migrated. Moreover, we also emphasise that the cost of producing a highly skilled individual is greater than that of semi-skilled or unskilled graduate. This paper suggests that there is a need for intervention by international donor organisations for global collaboration in order to facilitate the development of the third world by halting the ‘brain drain’. Research for this paper, the first of its kind in nature in its area, has been carried out by mainly interviews.

Key words: brain drain, first world, physical drain, public money, highly skilled people, working environment.