Tatsiana Vadalazhskaja: In order to tackle brain drain problem we have to admit it first

Civil servants discover weird means to attract foreign specialists to Belarus. The employment of these specialists can result in even greater brain drain from the country.

Belarusan parliamentarians are drafting a law that can help to get foreign specialists involved for work in Belarus. This document has already been introduced into the House of Representatives and is to be considered in first reading during the spring session. This draft will permit to make up for the travel expenses connected with travelling of the talented foreign citizens to our country. It is very interesting how the level of their talent will be measured, and what will be of top priority in the assessment. Does this document mean that foreign specialists will be enticed by nonrecurring payment and then receive a common salary in 500 dollars?

EuroBelarus Information Service asked Tatsiana Vadalazhskaja, the coordinator of the Flying University, to comment upon the draft of the law.

- What you believe is the reason why the state is going to attract foreign specialists to Belarus?

- This situation seems ridiculous to me: the state whose citizens immigrate to other countries in search of better life starts attracting specialists from abroad. And I see two scenarios there: the first one, which is optimistic, and the second, conventional. In the first case we could invite specialists to those spheres where there is a shortage in them, by this making up a deficiency in certain spheres. The question is what the state can suggest except one-time help, and are foreign specialists ready to work on equal terms with Belarusans? In the second case this program would involve foreign specialists who will substitute Belarusans, which will result in the further brain drain.

I think that the means aimed at helping specialists will be either paid once, or will be limited. As it is hard to make up some all-encompassing offer for all sorts of specialists; it is hard to consider all the subtleties of the profession as well as nuances of moving to Belarus. So we can’t fully rely on the help of the state.

- How can the problem of brain drain be solved?

- I think that for now it is unreasonable to set up the question about inviting foreign specialists. First we have to find out in which spheres and what kind of specialists do we lack, how to prepare personnel for these spheres, and only after that we can invite specialists from abroad.

It is hard to say how the problem of brain drain should be solved. Perhaps, to solve any problem one should admit it first, at top level, too. The awareness of the problem and considering ways to solve it will balance the amount of in- and outflow of specialists. Unfortunately, the terms are often got mixed up and specialists in different spheres often have to leave their country, as they don’t see possibilities for self-realization. We have to find the roots of this problem and possible solutions will come up.

- Will the adoption of this document be effective or is it another profanation of the regime?

- The adoption of this draft law is an attempt to solve the problem with the shortage of personnel. But this attempt is ridiculous, to say the least. As this law won’t bring any serious systematic change, neither to business sphere nor to science.