Brain Drain or Brain Gain? Insights from an Erasmus Mundus Masters Program

Brox Christoph, Casteleyn Sven, Kray Christian, Painho Marco, Huerta Joaquín, Kuhn Werner

Abstract

Some argue that education programs funded by developed countries foster brain drain in developing countries; others argue that braingain exceeds brain drain. After conducting the Erasmus Mundus Masters program in Geospatial Technologies for a decade, weanalysed this ethical dimension of our program. An online survey amongst students and alumni covered eleven editions of the Mastersprogram (2007-2017). We conclude from the results that this program substantially fosters brain gain by over 60 % of graduatesreturning to their home countries, that it also provides brain gain, at least to some extent, in those cases where graduates do not return totheir home countries, and that it provides unique and excellent opportunities to students who would otherwise lack such opportunities.