SciDev.Net

Europe's recent bid to attract more skilled workers underlines developing countries' need for greater – not less – investment in their intellectual capital.

Support from scientific diasporas — networks of expatriate researchers — is no substitute for capacity building in developing countries. But they still have an important contribution to make.

The loss of skilled personnel is a major drain on the whole development process, nowhere more than in science and technology. A new SciDev.Net dossier provides a guide to this complex issue.