Brain Circulation Status of Türkiye

Year 2025, Volume: 15 Issue: 1, 169 - 182, 30.04.2025

Furkan Metin

https://doi.org/10.53478/yuksekogretim.1407019

Abstract

While the concept of “brain drain” remains commonly used to describe the emigration of highly skilled individuals, it falls short of capturing the complex, multidirectional flows of talent in today’s globalized world. To address this limitation, recent research has proposed a broader conceptual framework encompassing not only brain drain, but also reverse brain drain, brain gain, brain waste, brain linkage, and most notably, brain circulation. As such, the current study investigates the brain circulation patterns of highly skilled Turkish citizens by examining variables such as graduation department, host country, and sex. Utilizing microdata from 160,789 tertiary graduates who had been abroad between 2010 and 2022, it was found that 67,366 individuals returned to Türkiye, indicating a brain circulation rate of 41.9%. These findings suggest a significant level of return migration, pointing toward an emerging trend of brain circulation rather than a purely one-directional talent outflow.

Keywords

Brain Circulation , Brain Drain , Brain Linkage , Human Capital Movement , International Human Resources , Reverse Brain Drain , Türkiye.

Ethical Statement

In this article, the spelling rules, research and publication ethics, publication principles and ethical rules stated in the journal were followed. All violations arising from this article are under the responsibility of the author. Additionally, the comments regarding the findings obtained within the scope of this research belong only to the researchers and do not bind the Turkish Statistical Institute.

Türkiye’nin Beyin Dolaşımı Durumu

Abstract

Beyin göçü terimi oldukça yaygın bir biçimde kullanılmaktadır. Ne var ki, beyin göçü terimi, yüksek vasıflı beşeri sermayenin uluslararası dolaşımının açıklanmasında oldukça yetersiz kalmaktadır. Bu nedenle, mevcut çalışmada beyin göçü, tersine beyin göçü, beyin kazanımı, beyin israfı, beyin bağları ve özellikle beyin dolaşımı kavramlarını bütünsel olarak temsil edecek kavramsal bir çerçeve sunulmuştur. Bunun yanı sıra, yüksek vasıflı Türk vatandaşlarının beyin dolaşımı yapısı mezun olunan bölüm, gidilen hedef ülke ve cinsiyet ayrımında ortaya çıkarılmıştır. 2010–2022 yılları arasında yurtdışında bulunan 160.789 yükseköğretim mezunundan, Türkiye’ye geri dönen 67.366 kişiye ait mikroveri setleri analiz edilerek, Türkiye’nin beyin dolaşım oranı %41,9 olarak tespit edilmiştir.

Keywords

Beşeri Sermaye Dolaşımı , Beyin Bağları , Beyin Dolaşımı , Tersine Beyin Göçü , Türkiye , Uluslararası İnsan Kaynakları.

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