How to retain brains in the country

In the aftermath of the Liberation War, Bangladesh was a ravaged country; there was virtually no infrastructure, agricultural supplies, or anything of the sort for food production. 

Today, we are the third and fifth largest producers of rice and fish respectively. Despite a population of hundred and seventy million, we are self-sufficient in terms of food. We have also been exporting some agricultural products. This achievement has been possible through the government's sufficient attention to agriculture, good investment, research, and domestic and international collaboration.

The government has set various targets to transform the country from a lower-middle-income country to a developed country by 2041. It is creating 100 economic zones to generate employment. Joint automobile factories have been established, and refrigerators, air conditioners, mobile phones and computers are being produced locally. 

To transform the country into an innovative, knowledge-based and economically prosperous state, the government needs to prioritise science, technology, engineering, higher education and research, and foster the nurturing of talented individuals in the agriculture sector.

Now, the government has increased the capacity for budget allocation in research. They have established the Prime Minister's Fellowship for government officials and the Bangabandhu Fellowship for teachers and scientists. Additionally, many talented individuals are pursuing higher education abroad through their own initiatives. 

Most of those who go abroad for higher education through the Prime Minister and Bangabandhu Fellowships return to the country. The majority of those who do not return are those who go on their initiative. The entire implementation of the Fourth Industrial Revolution relies heavily on advanced science and technology education and research, active participation of talented individuals, and a knowledge-based society.

At present, the country is on the highway of development through the construction of infrastructure such as metro rail, subway, tunnel, flyover, nuclear and coal-based power plants etc. Such mega-projects incur significant expenses from the country's revenue and rely on substantial foreign loans. These are being created to generate employment for the current young generation, improve our living conditions and above all build a prosperous Bangladesh.

Currently, around 30% of the population in the country is of working age. This is a great opportunity for the country to harness the potential of this young working force. 

Many countries cannot sustain their economy due to a lack of qualified people. Every developed country has at some point been supported by a particular generation's talent, sacrifice and hard work that helped transform the country. If the talent of the youth is not properly utilised, the development of the country will not be sustainable and good leadership will not emerge. 

We can see this phenomenon in action, day by day, as talented young people do not end up returning home after completing their higher education in the USA, Canada, the UK and Australia. Many even sell their ancestral wealth and take it abroad. 

There needs to be accountability in the investment of people's hard-earned tax money to make these talented engineers, doctors and scientists. Practical steps need to be taken to retain them. There is no shortage of discourse on this topic, but no visible progress is being made.

As I'm working at MIT, I have the opportunity to talk to some of the people who are studying or have graduated from MIT or Harvard. Some of them do not want to stay in Bangladesh despite having respectable jobs. Many others do not desire to return due to the tough job market and poor facilities. 

It is undeniable that compared to earlier, when a certain number of talented individuals settled permanently abroad, today, many more talented individuals are leaving the country and not returning.  I think it is necessary to determine the reasons behind this through accurate data and analysis. 

It could be that the facilities are decreasing day by day in the country or there is a radical change in the mindset of talented youth. Right now there is a shortage of talented people in universities, research institutes and politics. 

So how do we envision Bangladesh in the future? Do we not want to give a smart, safe, knowledge-based, equitable and inclusive country to our talented youth?

I have seen many with educational backgrounds from Oxford, Cambridge or Harvard settle abroad as scientists, entrepreneurs, bankers or financial advisers. But can we name those who have settled in Bangladesh, working in fields of education, research or entrepreneurship?

I am disappointed when I remember these experiences and contemplate the future. I tried to understand their reasoning and spoke to them to learn more about it:

1. Due to the unavailability of quality students with good fellowships at PhD and postdoctoral levels, and a lack of research infrastructure and necessary allocations, Bangladesh lags in research. 

In this context, it should be noted that according to World Bank data, Bangladesh spends almost zero percent of its GDP on research and development, while India spends around 1%, China 2.5%, and the United States 3.5%. The annual research budget of the country's universities is less than 1% of the total budget.

2. Complicated and opaque recruitment process, lack of proper evaluation of merit for promotions, job opportunities according to merit, traffic jam, air pollution and lack of social security.
3. In most cases, their spouses also work. There is no healthy and safe daycare in the country for their children. Again, there is no provision to keep their children in daycare for a sufficient period. They do not want to become dependent on family or hired help.

We can find a few solutions to these problems by looking at neighbouring countries like India or China.

1. Bangladesh can launch an initiative similar to India's Ramanujan and China's Young Thousands Talent Fellowships in universities. Through this initiative, talented individuals are provided with high salaries and opportunities to pursue research at the PhD and postdoctoral levels. 

The condition will be to publish yearly a certain number of patents and high-quality articles and conduct joint research with different countries. And also to bring multinational companies like India and China to the country to create R&D opportunities for PhD degree holders. 

Government, as well as private companies, NGOs or individuals, should come forward to provide adequate funding for applied research in universities. It may be mentioned here that Harvard and MIT currently have endowments of USD 40 and 25 billion respectively.

2. Above all, these people desire a smooth life with a fair, transparent and speedy process for recruitment and promotion and hassle-free living and commuting.

3. Establish adequate, safe, and healthy daycare centres with skilled professional staff.

Only after we follow some of these can we retain talent. Otherwise, the country will eventually become talentless and lag behind in creating an innovative, knowledge-based and technologically advanced nation.

Dr Md. Shafiqul Islam is a Visiting Professor and Fulbright Scholar, the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of Dhaka.

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