Reverse brain drain: What’s drawing Chinese researchers back from the US?

A reverse talent brain drain is underway, analysts say - which sees top Chinese talent including scholars, academics and researchers returning home after decades of success in the US, driven by better offers and career opportunities in China’s universities and start-ups. Writing in a CNA commentary on Oct 1, Chua Yeow Hwee, an assistant economics professor at NTU, also deputy director of NTU’s Economic Growth Centre, noted how changing rules and environments are “reshaping the choices of firms and workers”. “For professionals, it alters expectations about which countries offer security and long-term opportunity,” Chua said, adding that “the real contest was not about offering the highest salaries or the largest markets - it was about trust”. Countries are also “innovating with faster approvals and new pathways, and the race for talent is intensifying”, Chua added.

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