I prepared a paper for the Fifth Population Conference that examined variations across African countries in international student mobility. Our analysis showed that country differences in numbers of students sent abroad are positively related to a country’s population size, urbanization levels, and gross domestic product (GDP) purchasing power but negatively related to higher education training capacity. Our analysis also showed that countries that send more students abroad have higher remittances and permanent immigration to the United States. We concluded that African countries concerned with their study abroad rates could lower them by strengthening their higher education capacity.

African countries have the highest rates of international student mobility for higher education in the world, and most African students who go abroad for their higher education studies do not return home after completing their study programs. Policy makers and development experts in Africa and elsewhere lament the region`s brain drain and are seeking advice about how brain drain can be slowed and mitigated. However, there is a dearth of solid data and analysis on this problem. In addition, most discussion of the brain drain problem assumes that skilled Africans are being recruited to work outside the region, but my work indicates that Africa’s brain drain problems start when students go abroad for their higher education studies. While some skilled Africans are recruited by countries for work in the health industry, most Africans leave their homelands because economic and social opportunities abroad are more favorable than those at home.

In addition to preparing an empirical paper that examined the linkages between African international student mobility and higher education training capacity, I presented this paper at the VI African Population Conference that was held in Arusha, Tanzania, December 9-14, 2006.

My paper was just completed in December 2007 and is currently under revision for publication. At the Arusha Conference, several scholars and managers spoke with me about my work on international student mobility, and I will be in contact with them about steps to improve teaching and research in African universities. In addition, my work indicates that if Africans do go abroad for study, they should study in neighboring countries in the region (South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Uganda), because return rates are higher for students that study in the region.

Enhance human capacity in Africa