Puerto Rico Fears Brain Drain Following Storm Devastation
Nov. 7, 2017
Universities worry that young scientists will leave and not return.
Puerto Rico, already devastated by a series of deadly and damaging storms, faces yet another obstacle: an impending brain drain in its scientific community. According to an article from Times Higher Education, two category four hurricanes have sent tens of thousands fleeing the region and have caused a number of issues for the island’s universities ranging from lost and damaged equipment to a disruption in working hours due to an intermittent power supply and loss of internet and mobile networks.
Even before Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico, in the midst of a financial crisis, reportedly had a problem losing its brightest to more stable campuses abroad and to greater opportunities elsewhere. Now, experts fear those students studying abroad may have second thoughts about returning to the area, while recruiting new professors will prove even more challenging. This brain drain, according to the article, will impact future generations of scientists and the diversity of the scientific workforce.
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