Could student migration remedy Lithuania's brain drain?

The growing influx of foreign students to Lithuanian universities may start to counter the nation’s brain drain.

Lithuania's declining population and university enrolment figures have raised concerns that the nation’s skill base is dwindling. Lithuania's population has dropped by around a fifth since 1990, partly as a result of the nation’s rapidly declining birth rate and strong waves of outward migration.

UNESCO figures show that around one in 14 Lithuanian students now choose to attend foreign universities.

However, recent efforts to promote Baltic university courses to European students have boosted student migration to Lithuania. Recent data show that Lithuania hosted almost 5,000 foreign students last year, nearly a five-fold increase from two years earlier.

Giorgio Di Pietro discusses how studying abroad can enhance employability and refine individual skillsets. He notes that prospects are especially improved among students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Furthermore, Arnaud Chevalier writes that international student migration can foster economic growth in both home and host countries. To boost student migration levels, he suggests that policymakers should aim to harmonize qualifications and job markets across labor markets.

Read more here.

Related articles:
University study abroad and graduates’ employability, by Giorgio Di Pietro
How to attract foreign students, by Arnaud Chevalier