U.S. losing its luster as a talent magnet

[echarcha]

U.S. losing its luster as a talent magnet

Other countries are morphing into brainy hot spots

By CHERYL HALL
Dallas Morning News

DALLAS - Worried about global outsourcing? Chances are you're focused on the wrong end of the job equation

Every day, hundreds of trained workers leave the United States for opportunities abroad.


This talent outflow poses more long-term dangers to our economy than the migration of low-skill-level jobs to cheaper foreign labor markets.

Many are going home — lured by improving homeland economies and highly targeted recruiting programs aimed at poaching America's brainpower.


"The United States used to have a monopoly on skilled immigration," said David Heenan, a former senior executive with Citigroup and author of Flight Capital: The Alarming Exodus of America's Best and Brightest.



"Whether it was Alfred Hitchcock, I.M. Pei, Peter Drucker or Albert Einstein, this was the place where everyone wanted to be. Few other countries were even in the game. That's no longer the case."
Now we have people like Hong Kong-born Edison Lui, former director of clinical sciences at the U.S. National Cancer Institute.

He is moving to Singapore to head that country's impressive genome institute. When Heenan asked him why, Lui said, "It's a small city-state of 4.5 million people where I can get decisions out of the government in a week, not three months."
Heenan estimates that up to 1,000 legal immigrants — many in leading-edge professions such as science, engineering, medicine and technology — make U-turns home each day.

Emerald Isle's draw

He gets that admittedly squishy number by taking the figures of returning expatriates in such countries as India, China, Singapore and Ireland and then working backward.

Ireland? Yes, Ireland.

The Emerald Isle has zeroed in on more than 1,000 Irish immigrants living here and working in life sciences and technology. It's holding massive recruiting fairs and pursuing them with gusto, he said.

"For many attendees, it's shock and awe," Heenan said. "Many have been out of the country for 10 or 20 years and aren't that knowledgeable about the dramatic improvement in Ireland's educational institutions, tax system, general economy and the depth of research money.
"Of course, there's also plenty of Guinness going down the tubes. They've clearly turned some heads."
The United States can blame terrorism for part of the problem.
"For perfectly understandable reasons, we've tightened the borders and heightened constraints on potential recruits to the United States and also those who recently arrived," Heenan said. "The atmosphere for newcomers here post-9-11 is chilling and has renewed their sense of national roots."

Americans leaving

We've removed the welcome mat, while the Australians, Canadians, New Zealanders and Singaporeans are rolling out the red carpet.


For example, in the past year, Australia hosted skilled labor expos in London, Berlin, Amsterdam and various Indian cities, Heenan said. Americans who have become more adventurous about living and working abroad are taking the recruitment bait, too.

David Daniel, president of the University of Texas at Dallas, agrees that the talent flight poses a serious threat to our economic vitality. But he's even more troubled that many brilliant minds are not coming here to begin with.

"They now have almost equal opportunities to attend world-class universities in their home countries that weren't even on the radar screen 20 years ago," Daniel said. "They don't perceive America as hospitable and welcoming. They see post-graduation business opportunities that are comparable to those in America.
"Why should they leave?"

U.S. as blueprint

The rest of the world is using America's success as a blueprint, Daniel said.


"Ireland, Singapore, Beijing, Shanghai and Bangalore are white hot and the five most interesting places on the planet," Daniel said, then added as aside, "Remember when we used to say Palo Alto and Austin were white hot?

"Of those, Singapore is the most dynamic. It's clearly on a path to create a science, technology and university magnet that will make them the high ground of Asia."

The United States can't afford to wait for a cool-down, he contends. Competition for skilled labor will only get worse.

As much as Singapore has accomplished in the past 10 years, even it's worried, Daniel said.

"They see the beast across the ocean: China."

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[DesiBaba]

havent read the entire article but this mass exodus is not surprising to me..
it juz makes sense to go to places that offer permanent residency status quickly (in addition to the jobs)..

[dhurandhar]

Originally Posted by DesiBaba

havent read the entire article but this mass exodus is not surprising to me..
it juz makes sense to go to places that offer permanent residency status quickly (in addition to the jobs)..

No matter how you look at it, USA is still the country where you have the MOST freedom. In other countries, you are just a techno-slave with a fat bank balance that you can't do much with anyway

[DesiBaba]

Originally Posted by dhurandhar

No matter how you look at it, USA is still the country where you have the MOST freedom. In other countries, you are just a techno-slave with a fat bank balance that you can't do much with anyway

correct me if i m wrong but i am sure there are several other countries (Aus,NZ) where people can enjoy the same kind of freedom and have the least anxiety related to 'status'.. ??

and whaz so special bout the freedom over here? i kno of folkz who have they drivin licence valid only upto the tyme they H1 visaz valid

[dhurandhar]

Originally Posted by DesiBaba

correct me if i m wrong but i am sure there are several other countries (Aus,NZ) where people can enjoy the same kind of freedom and have the least anxiety related to 'status'.. ??

and whaz so special bout the freedom over here? i kno of folkz who have they drivin licence valid only upto the tyme they H1 visaz valid

As a citizen in Kangaroo land or Kiwi land, I don't think you can buy a rifle at Walmart....the right to bear arms is not enshrined in most countries' constitution.

What's wrong with the driving license law associated with H1 visa...it helps curb illegal overstay

[DesiBaba]

Originally Posted by dhurandhar

As a citizen in Kangaroo land or Kiwi land, I don't think you can buy a rifle at Walmart....the right to bear arms is not enshrined in most countries' constitution.

What's wrong with the driving license law associated with H1 visa...it helps curb illegal overstay

i guess thaz your way of perciving freedom..while fo me freedom means freedom from all the bullshit associated wit our stay in US thaz connected to our status (hence i gave an example of the licence)

yaar dhurs, majority of us Indians on a work visa aint interested in buyin weapons..we r interested in our status first and then the rest..people lyke you and me would not even like to overstay here (i hope i am right on this wrt statistics..please do not include shitholes like NY & NJ))

..and enforcing constraints on drivin licenses is not gon help 'em in any way,especially since we Indians do not even constitute a fraction of the illegal immigration phenomena nor would the illegal immigrants gives a rats ass for a valid licence/visa..all these added constraints in addition to the LONG status wait only adds to our frustration and anger..

so it juz makes sense to go to countries where folks do not have to face all this shit..

[dhurandhar]

Originally Posted by DesiBaba

i guess thaz your way of perciving freedom..while fo me freedom means freedom from all the bullshit associated wit our stay in US thaz connected to our status (hence i gave an example of the licence)

yaar dhurs, majority of us Indians on a work visa aint interested in buyin weapons..we r interested in our status first and then the rest..people lyke you and me would not even like to overstay here (i hope i am right on this wrt statistics..please do not include shitholes like NY & NJ))

..and enforcing constraints on drivin licenses is not gon help 'em in any way,especially since we Indians do not even constitute a fraction of the illegal immigration phenomena nor would the illegal immigrants gives a rats ass for a valid licence/visa..all these added constraints in addition to the LONG status wait only adds to our frustration and anger..

so it juz makes sense to go to countries where folks do not have to face all this shit..

Indians do contribute a fraction of illegal immigration phenomena...a really tiny fraction as compared to Mexicans though

[YedaAnna]

DB, Ive heard there are some really ridiculous procedures in Australia, NZ when it comes to immigration. In fact, US is pretty relaxed compared to some other European countries too. And yes, the freedom to be yourself, do your thing and not be bothered is far more in the States than any other country in the world!

[DesiBaba]

Originally Posted by YedaAnna

DB, Ive heard there are some really ridiculous procedures in Australia, NZ when it comes to immigration.

i am not too sure bout that Yeda..prolly yogi & justaguy could throw some mo light on this..

as far as i kno, in AUS u can get a premanent residency whilst studying (i maybe wrong..i've juz heard this from people)

while in NZ u gotta have a job there to obtain permanent residency..

edit: NZ info -
http://www.echarcha.com/forum/showpo...7&postcount=36
http://www.echarcha.com/forum/showth...3&page=4&pp=15