CUADRO 2.21 TIPO DE SIGNO

Bulgaria is one of the specific cases of science development and brain drain. Comparing with the other Central and Eastern European countries Bulgaria boasts the highest number of students per thousand - which is 24 (Estonia - 12, Slovenia - 20, Poland - 11,

the Czech Republic -11).

Bulgaria is one of the countries with the largest share of unemployed with higher education - 17% of all unemployed. Unemployment promotes emigration tendencies among scientists. Data indicate that the Bulgarian science personnel is ageing. Less and less young people work in research institutions. Special policy measures are needed to encourage young people. Before the reforms, Bulgaria used to have the highest standard using the indicator "employed in science per capita". Now, Bulgaria comes second after the Czech Republic as far as the loss of scientific staff during the transition is concerned. By the end of 1993, the number of scientists had dropped abruptly to 5 per thousand in Central and Eastern European countries. Reductions of personnel have been highest in the field of engineering and agriculture. Social and natural sciences did reduce, but not considerably. In medical sciences employment even increased.

Approximate calculations show that the monthly average wage of scientists in Bulgaria is among the lowest in Central and Eastern Europe. Official statistics show evidence of mass emigration of people with higher education from Bulgaria in the first two years of the reforms. Is there brain drain from Bulgaria? If brain drain is defined as "scientists leaving the country for periods longer than one year with the purpose of a long-term or permanent stay in the other country, where the scientist is professionally engaged in scientific work" such process is observable in Bulgaria. The real brain drain is

estimated at about 11.5% of the scientists who left the research institutes. The process is slowing down in terms of numbers of people after 1992, yet a permanent drain of scientists to foreign countries is recognizable.

This process can hardly be expressed in quantitative terms. However, of all scientists who left for abroad, only 13% are not engaged in scientific activities, which means that the emigration of scientists is virtually a brain drain process. Concerning the qualitative characteristics of scientists who left science, those with the most favourable

professional and demographic characteristics have gone abroad. The loss of qualified experts therefore is a serious problem for the Bulgarian science sector. Only 11% of emigrated scientist returned. Public perception of brain drain was quite negative. Scientists, deans and directors in science have a different opinion. They see the brain drain process as a period which is over, and also as a kind of "price" which science paid in exchange for its sociability.

The data indicate active scientific exchange at present. While 576 people from 106 institutes have emigrated, 530 are abroad under some kind of scientific exchange. The scientific exchange is oriented mainly towards European countries, while brain drain was directed mainly towards the USA.

The status of Bulgarian scientists still creates an environment favouring high internal and external migration. The relative decrease in potential and real migration, has not yet stabilized scientific personnel. Compared to other countries, Bulgarian scientists are more motivated to leave the country, due to their economic situation which is worse than in the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Poland or Hungary.

Bulgaria should be encouraged to participate in the process of brain exchange. The involvement of Bulgarian scientists in European programmes for scientific exchange should become one of the major instruments for the strategic scientific development of the country.

One of the most unexpected and important results of the study on potential migration of scientists from Central and Eastern Europe is the fact that - according to the major part of these scientists foreign institutions look for scientific products - much more than even the biggest domestic consumer, the state. This holds true for Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria. It can be assumed that this is one of the major reasons for the high

potential migration of scientists from these countries, mainly by means of both short-term and long-term scientific exchange programmes. The study confirmed the hypothesis that those countries demanding more scientific results from their scientists, experience a lower potential migration among them.

According to the commonly applied research methodology three groups of potential migrants were identified: determined migrants, undetermined migrants and determined non-migrants. The survey on potential migration of scientists indicated the following tendencies:

* No significant variations can be observed concerning factors influencing migration intentions in the different countries.

* The survey did not provide enough evidence of expected mass migration of scientists from Bulgaria. However, as was proved by figures about the real migration of scientists, the most highly qualified scientists want to leave the country for longer than one year. The study also showed that potential migrants will easily decide to emigrate. The potential migration of scientists is not solely conditioned by their economic situation. Essential as these factors can be, research has supplied evidence that dissatisfaction with the role and place of scientists as well as their career opportunities remain important factors in deciding about emigration. The determined migrants are professionally highly qualified, which means that their emigration is a loss for science as well as for society in general.

Research showed considerable differences as to the direction of migration movements between determined and undetermined migrants. 24.5% of the determined migrants intend to emigrate to USA and 14.3% to Germany; from the potential migrants 20% are heading for Germany and 22.9% for the USA. With the determined migrants, England comes third in their preference (13.6% of the sample), and France fourth (10.2%). With

potential emigrants these two countries present similar patterns. Canada is also very attractive as a scientist migration destination.

When evaluating the factors preventing scientists to leave the country, the three groups show considerable differences. Determined migrants regard impediments as

unimportant if they have already made up their minds to emigrate. Only 4.6% of the determined migrants have their stay funded by their present institute, 12.2% by other organisations in the country of origin (foundation, etc.), and in 89.9% of the cases by the receiving institute.

Therefore, it can be said that long-term migration is depending on the good will and the financing of the receiving countries.

The data show that almost one fourth of the interviewed scientists participate in a joint research project with Western research institutes. Involving Bulgarian scientists and institutes in joint research projects is a problem. Encouraging Bulgarian scientists to participate in such projects should therefore be a major goal of the management of Bulgarian science. On the other hand that participation depends on the opportunities offered by European integration and international organisations. In this respect

additional help from different countries is needed, and new ways for the involvement of Bulgarian scientists in international projects have to be found. Finding the right

information on collaboration opportunities is a problem as well. However, good science marketing is not enough for the participation in an international project, it also depends on the personal approach of scientists themselves. Research results show that in some countries financing a research project is an instrument for the increase of the budget of the whole institute, and the personal support, participation and financial benefit for the scientist who has contributed to acquire the project, is quite unsatisfactory.

Participation in international projects therefore should be managed properly. Specific mechanisms should be established for these needs.

Jarmila Maresova

Dusan Drbohlav, Vera Lhotska

Research Institute of Labour and Social Affairs

Prague, Czech Republic

MIGRATION

EUROPE'S INTEGRATION AND

THE LABOUR FORCE

BRAIN DRAIN