Emigration, Human Capital and Development: Lessons to be Learnt from Recent Research Conducted at IRES

This article provides an overview of the research activities that have been conducted at IRES over the last ten years on the relationships between high-skilled emigration, human capital accumulation and economic growth in developing countries. It provides stylized facts on the magnitude of the brain drain at the beginning of the twenty-first century, and an analysis of its determinants. Then it discusses the ambiguous implications of the brain drain for the development of the source countries. Finally, it provides migration projections for the twenty-first century, suggesting brain drain will remain a major economic issue in the coming decades. JEL classification: F22, J24, O15