ALBANIA: THE UN'S BRAIN GAIN PROGRAM -- TARGETED AT HIGHER

UNCLAS TIRANA 000373

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/SCE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV SOCI UN AL

SUBJECT: ALBANIA: THE UN'S BRAIN GAIN PROGRAM -- TARGETED AT HIGHER
EDUCATION



1. (U) SUMMARY: Albania's higher education system has undergone
major changes since the fall of communism. Reforming it has been a
priority of every government since, though each has devoted varying
levels of resources and effort toward improving this vital societal
foundation. The brain drain phenomenon has strongly impacted
academia in particular, a situation which must be addressed to
secure qualified professors and researchers, improve Albania's
nascent graduate studies programs, and recruit university
professors, in order to prepare the next generation of young
Albanians for the modern workforce. The GOA, in partnership with
United Nations Development Program (UNDP),is in the midst of a
two-year Brain Gain Program to help bring back well educated members
of the diaspora. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) The Brain Gain Program aims to close the current generational
gap in the Albanian work force, where only a handful of educated
workers in sectors such as finance, services, and education are aged
25 to 40. White collar professions are dominated by workers either
close to retirement, raised under communist rule with the particular
viewpoint that comes with this history, or fresh out of college with
little life experience. The program is a tangible effort targeted
to attract and maintain the best human capital between these two age
groups.


3. (U) Launched in March 2006 and scheduled to end in September
2008, this joint GOA-UNDP project creates incentives and mechanisms
to reverse the brain drain. One such incentive focuses on civil
servants who have a master's degree or Ph.D. from foreign
universities, offering them a bonus of up to $300 USD per month on
top of their paycheck.


4. (U) Academia is strongly targeted, to confront the current dearth
of qualified professors, textbook authors, and academic researchers.
The problem is particularly acute as it hinders the next generation
from acquiring quality higher education in the western tradition.
Since the fall of communism, Albanians who could find a way to
finance their education at overseas universities did so, avoiding
the lack of experienced professors and educational resources in
their own country. This new program is designed to bring these
individuals back.


5. (U) To assist those young Albanians who have acquired a foreign
education, a practical implementation of the Brain Gain Program has
been to facilitate local recognition of foreign university degrees.
This process has long been an obstacle for many returning from
abroad, as securing the official paperwork that recognizes their
achievement has been a lengthy and bureaucratic process, sometimes
taking years to complete, which necessitates various fees, official
and "unofficial," to accomplish the task. With GOA recognition of
their achievements at a foreign university, these young people may
more quickly and easily enter the domestic workforce or local
graduate programs.


6. COMMENT: As in many parts of the world, reversing the brain
drain is an important step in improving the Albanian talent pool for
today's technology- and services-based global economy. The GOA's
Brain Gain Program should assist in bringing back more qualified
members of the diaspora. Although there has been little concrete
progress so far, the GOA and UNDP continue to work to incentivize
the most qualified and educated Albanians to return home, and we
will continue to follow this program and any results which may come
of it. END COMMENT.

WITHERS