Brain Drain and the Future of Youth:
(Aliza Shamshad Chaudhry)
The sadness in the departure lounges of airports, tears in the eyes, and the hope of a bright future in the heart. This is the scene that has become a daily routine in almost every major city of Pakistan today. The country’s most capable doctors, engineers, IT experts, scientists, and highly educated youth are migrating abroad every day, carrying their dreams with them. The process, which is called “brain drain” in scientific and economic terms, is no longer just a dry economic term; it has become a huge question mark for the future of our national existence, economy, and youth. Youth are the backbone of any nation and the real guarantor of its development, but when the most talented and creative generation of the country is forced to say goodbye to their own homeland, it not only affects the state of the nation but also their own future is doomed to exile.
There are some very bitter and profound facts behind this painful migration and brain drain. The biggest reason is the ongoing economic instability in the country and rampant inflation, which has made it impossible for an ordinary educated and talented youth to meet their daily expenses with respect. Along with this, the severe lack of merit and extremely low remuneration are the biggest causes of discouragement among the youth, where years of hard work, high degrees and qualifications die in the face of recommendation, bribery and incompetence. Moreover, the continuous political and social uncertainty has robbed the youth of their sense of hope and security for the future. On the other hand, the international demand for Pakistani talent in developed countries and attractive incentives attract them. In search of a safe environment, a transparent system, and a better standard of living, these young people make the difficult decision to leave their beloved homeland with a heavy heart. The effects of brain drain are not limited to just a few people going abroad, but the entire country and future generations are having to bear the brunt of it. This is, first of all, a serious waste of educational and national capital; the young people on whose education, health, and training the state and parents have spent millions of rupees and years of their hard work are now reaping the fruits of their talents in other nations. On the one hand, this is causing economic losses and a severe decline in tax revenues, while on the other hand, it is having extremely negative effects on basic sectors such as health and education. Our hospitals are losing qualified doctors and experienced surgeons, while universities are suffering from a shortage of top researchers and expert teachers. The result is that research, inventions, and innovation in the country have significantly declined, and the efficiency of the administrations is declining day by day.
To get out of this terrible situation, concrete and practical measures are needed instead of emotional slogans. First of all, the complete supremacy of merit must be established in the country so that the youth are convinced that their future is linked to their hard work and ability, not to any recommendation or bribery. It is imperative to provide the youth with appropriate remuneration and transparent opportunities for career development according to their abilities. The current era is of the digital revolution, so special facilities for IT and startups, cheap internet, tax exemptions, and easy loans should be provided so that the youth can earn foreign exchange by working internationally from their homes.
Along with this, continuity of economic and political policies must be maintained so that the confidence of investors and youth is restored. National investment in research and development (R&D) in the country must be increased, and the rule of law and provision of basic facilities must be ensured. If the government and the private sector together succeed in convincing the youth that their talent, hard work and ability will be valued in their own country, then not only can the brain drain be significantly reduced but also the brightest Pakistanis living abroad can be attracted back to the country.
The bottom line is that the youth are not just a numerical strength for any nation, but its bright future. If we do not provide our falcons with opportunities to fly in their own sky and on our own soil, then all the claims of development will prove hollow. Now is the time for the state and society to come together and make decisions on an emergency basis and make the youth realize that this country is theirs and their future is linked to this soil. When the fruits of hard work and self-respect are found in their own country, no youth will even think of leaving their home, their loved ones, and their homeland. Remember that Brain drain, i.e., educated, capable, and skilled youth leaving their country in search of a better future, employment, and a higher standard of living, has become a serious crisis for Pakistan at this time, which has a direct impact on the country’s economy and the future of the youth. The main reasons for this crisis include the economic instability of the country, rising inflation, unemployment, falling value of the rupee, corruption of merit in institutions due to recommendations and nepotism, political and social uncertainty, and doctors, engineers, and IT specialists not getting suitable salaries and research incentives according to their qualifications. While this situation is having very negative effects on the country’s economy because the talent gap is being created due to the departure of the best brains, the pace of the country’s development is slowing down and rich countries are taking advantage of the education and training provided by Pakistan from their own resources, on the other hand, a positive aspect of this is the international exposure given to the youth and the remittances sent by them which support the country’s economy. To overcome this serious crisis, it is imperative to establish the supremacy of merit in all public and private institutions, to provide IT, freelancing, international payment methods and cheap internet facilities for the youth living in the country, to provide start-up funds on easy terms for new businesses and to attract Pakistani experts living abroad to online teaching or local investment under the ‘Brain Gain’ policy so that both the capital of the country and the future of the youth can be secured.
