A Study On The "Brain Drain" Debate In United Kingdom 1950-1970

Since the end of the Second World War, countries have laid widespread stress on science and technology, and regarded scientific and technological talents as their wealth. The debate of "brain drain" in UK originated in the period of post-war reconstruction and shortage of manpower, and was related to Britain's relative decline. This paper has three chapters. Chapter One introduces the debate before 1963 and the debate after the publication of the Royal Society report in 1963. Chapter Two introduces the debate during the Labour Party's election and the Labour Government in 1964. Chapter Three, based on the Chapter One and Two, analyses the "brain drain" with the available data and the modern brain drain theories. The "brain drain" debate in UK has a slow build-up. The term "brain drain" was itself a media product, the records show that the Whitehall agenda was in large part driven by having to react to media coverage in the 1960s. The emergence of "brain drain" had close relationship with UK scientific and technological policy of 1950s and 1960s, the debate disclosed many problems in UK government, universities, industries and social aspects. Brain drain is a complex problem with many causes, however, no single solution.