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0 pointsIfkaluva7h ago0 comments

I think you’ve got it backwards. MIT used to be brain-draining China, India, Iran, Europe, etc into schools like MIT. The lower numbers mean this is happening less. There are likely multiple factors: becoming less attractive, their domestic options becoming more attractive, more aggressive immigration posture, etc

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chirau7h ago

No. They have it right. Brain drain, by definition, is emigration of educated and skilled labor out of country or region in search of greener pastures.

America losing foreigners in education institutions is not 'brain drain' in the classical sense. There is no emigration (the drain) involved. America receiving all those students and skilled labor over the years was brain drain.

jryio7h ago

If you "drain" something the subject of the verb is what is being drained not where it is draining to.

JumpCrisscross7h ago

Brain drain is a noun. In the context of American research universities, it’s historically been used one way because that was the direction of the drain.

jknoepfler7h ago

Monopolizing talent is a zero sum game. If your tally is in the negative, you're experiencing brain drain.

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