The emigration of students becomes chronic, 100% of the emigrants are very satisfied

2023-12-01 07:31:00, Sociale CNA

The emigration of students becomes chronic, 100% of the emigrants are very

Illustrative photo

Albania has turned into a laboratory of chronic immigration, which continues on a large scale throughout the 33 years since the fall of communism.

A recent study by experts Ilir Gëdeshi and Russell King "Albanian students abroad, a potential for brain migration" points out that over 600 young Albanians surveyed who study abroad are very satisfied with the choice they have made.

The study points out that students are heirs of professionals and are serving as an indicator for the chronic emigration of young people for studies, at a time when the quality of Albanian universities is not improving.

Data pertaining to 2017 show that the stock of students abroad is 17,488 of which 59.4% are in Italy, 6.9% in Greece and 5.7% in Turkey, and the rest in other EU countries.

More detailed data show that students abroad are mainly descendants of professionals (doctors, lawyers, architects, university professors, IT experts, journalists, etc.) and business people (owners, directors, managers, partners, etc.). Fathers of students abroad, almost 53.5% in these two hour sectors (business and professions).

More detailed information has shown that within Albanian families and from one generation to another, a tendency to emigrate for the purpose of studies has been widely observed.

The authors find that the wealthiest and most politically powerful families send their children to top-ranked universities in the United Kingdom and to a lesser extent in Switzerland, the Netherlands and France. This requires huge investments not only in tuition fees and accommodation. Survey data shows that 62 percent of parents of students studying in Great Britain are people in business, professionals or senior government officials.

The interviewees have affirmed that studying with a scholarship abroad is selective and is mainly won by leading families. However, those who leave to study abroad are more likely to have graduate parents.

The study shows that young people's intentions to leave and study abroad appear to be higher than ever before.

To curb this brain hemorrhage, domestic policies should ensure better prospects for young Albanians to stay in Albania, the authors suggest.

This, according to them, would require several things: improving the standard of Albanian universities and connecting them more effectively to international academic networks, including short-term student exchanges so that students are not 'lost' but ensure that they return. It is also necessary to create better job prospects for graduates, with higher incomes and clearer career structures./ Monitor Magazine