Introduction
Delivering the historical address at the ceremonial opening of the fourth session of Parliament on May 19, President Mahinda Rajapaksa called upon all those who have left the motherland due to terrorism, especially the Tamil people, to return. He extended the invitation to engineers, doctors, accountants and other professionals living in various countries, to return to the motherland and contribute to its development.
This is an issue which has been very close to my heart for many years. I, with my close network of friends and colleagues, have done what we could in a very small way, to see such an engagement happening. But we have not been able to achieve the desired results. However, with the commitment coming from the highest political order, the President, I have no doubt the path has been paved for such a programme to come through. It is now the duty of the professionals to plan and see that a sustainable programme is brought into being.
In addition to my personal interest, the Institute for Research and Development in Sri Lanka, of which I am the honourary director, has had a specific interest in this issue. The IRD had launched the campaign under the slogan ‘Gain Through the Loss’ some time back and we will whole-heatedly and actively do everything to see that such engagement happens on the ground.
Therefore, I have decided to discuss some of the inherent issues related to the topic in today’s article. However, what I am attempting today is not just a mere intellectual exercise. I have personally gone through most of the challenges and obstacles a returning professional will have to go through. This is in spite of my going abroad without any costs to the state and returning with professional training and qualifications. When I started writing this piece, it brought me memories of a keynote address I delivered at the SAARC Regional Conference on Mental Health academic sessions held in Colombo in 2001. My close long- standing friend from the Medical Faculty days, a native Tamil professor, Chitra Mohan, who is an influential professional in the UK organised this meeting. I am sure many people like him will be happy hear the news of an opportunity to contribute, but a lot will have to be done to engage them and get the maximum benefits for the nation from that contribution.
Redefining who an ‘expatriate’ is.
I would like to reformulate the definition of an expatriate.
True expatriate: This is someone who has been living abroad for a long period, either expelled or removed or forced to be away by circumstances and subsequently, he or she has withdrawn from citizenship as well as from their allegiance to the native land.
Not an expatriate: This is someone who has been, even though living abroad for long periods, either expelled or removed or forced to be away by circumstances and has never withdrawn citizenship or their allegiance to the native land. In other words, they are physically there, but as usual they will dream in their native language.
Hidden expatriate: Living in the native country, not physically expelled or removed, but completely dissociated and withdrawn from citizenship as well as their allegiance to their native land.
How to win back the ‘expatriate’?
It is well known that a large segment of Sri Lankan professionals is scattered in the developed countries. Although there are many reasons contributing to this situation, an adequate attempt has not been made up to now to study this issue in depth. Therefore, inevitably, none of the successive governments could come up with any appropriate, sustainable programme of action to address this issue. However, with the positive mind of the President on this issue, along with his plea to expatriates to contribute to national development at the end of conflict, a window of opportunity is now available to seriously consider how to ‘gain from the loss’.
We have listened to maliciously and vituperatively worded analyses on the exodus. We have also witnessed knee-jerk reactions and literary exercises executed from time to time with a view to ostensibly remedying the situation. We have, therefore, prepared this proposal to invite the concerned parties to examine the issues from a broader perspective so that, we could collectively propose practical steps and generate a fair awareness on solving the problems.
The purpose of our analysis is only to comprehend the issues rationally. By understanding the phenomenon, we expect to discuss the optimum strategies to win the support and the valuable services of the expatriates. This contribution, though, should be based on national needs, should also take into account expatriate views; what they are prepared to offer according to their ability.
The remedial action of implementing a systematic programme has become the responsibility of the professionals and of the state. Lost in bewilderment and isolation, the professionals up to now may have become disillusioned. Not only have the expatriates been hesitant to return, they also have developed an apathy even to contribute whatever service they could, while living overseas. This has been the glaring and naked truth that cannot be ignored. However, now we have seen the dawn of a new era.
Professionals’ neglect
There is no short and simple, good enough answer to this question. There are complex reasons behind this phenomenon. These include political, socio-economic, scientific, educational and perhaps very intricate personal or financial considerations. We are cautious not to discard the view that the exodus can be mainly due to the personal ambitions and expectations for a better living in the economically prosperous world, of those who have the correct ties and links. However, we wish to reiterate that there is a considerable segment of expatriates who are dissatisfied with the atmosphere created by bureaucratic and political interference, denying them the intellectual freedom to practice what they wish to. Narrow educational policies resulting in lesser opportunities for furthering knowledge and expertise also contributed to the fleeing of professionals to technologically- advanced countries. We know a large number of professionals left the island due to the escalation of the ethnic conflict, especially in 1983, and also following the civil unrest in the South during the late ‘80s and the general worsening of the political crisis during the last two decades.
The estimated total number of intellectuals who have left the country is around 500,000 or more. There is one more unique category that cannot be ignored. They are the subsequent generations of expatriates who were entirely brought up in foreign countries. They may have not had any direct benefit from Sri Lanka but have retained their identity as Sri Lankans.
As reported in the ‘Economist’ (Sep 2002), America, the world’s biggest skill magnet, absorbs large proportions of the most educated people from the neighbouring countries. It has not changed much since then. A survey of new legal immigrants to America found that about 21% of them have at least 17 years of education, implying some postgraduate study, compared with only 8% of native-born Americans. According to the estimates of the Pew Hispanic Centre (a think tank), 12% of Mexico’s population and 75% of Jamaica, with higher education, are in the United States. Twelve percent of the total labour force of Mexico is in the United States and 30% of that are with PhDs.
America educates 1/3rd of all foreign students and half of those who obtain PhDs are still in the United States five years later. This is, over 60% for physical science and mathematics. Not only are the students from India and China but also those from the UK likely to stay over. Canada loses their people to the States. From 1997 to 2003, 15% – 40% of their graduates were lost to the States.
In the context of globalization, increased facility to travel and the IT revolution, geographical boundaries are becoming irrelevant. All these have provided the opportunity to develop strategies to re-engage expatriates.
The best strategies
In the context of this abhorrent past as narrated in this short essay, what we require today is a pragmatic solution, embedded in a vision with a short term, medium term and a long term answer. In formulating such a programme, it is absolutely essential to approach it from two directions; one from the professional point of view and the other from a national point of view. Once again, even from a professional point of view, it has two facets. While recognizing the importance of integrating the contribution of the expatriate community, it has to be done without undermining the value of the genuine intellectuals who remained in the country in spite of numerous adversities.
However having said so I would also make a cautionary note about certain power brokers who may stand in the way of respectful engagement of ‘expatriates’. Even if handled with due care, there will be some local so- called professionals who may not wish to see any engagement of expatriates.
Within a pragmatic programme, the expatriates should be given the choice to come back or to stay back and contribute. However it is absolutely essential to create an environment conducive for them to come back, if they wish to do so. If their choice is to stay behind, they should be allowed to decide as to how they can contribute to the development of the nation even if they do not return definitely. This, we believe, should be a mutually- beneficial and respectable approach. The importance of this programme will be elevated if it is carried out in a coordinated manner. If and when the professionals decide to return, they should be accepted and their return should be carefully planned and facilitated, as there will be many issues created by the return of expatriates. It is no matter where one would be, in the global village; a significant contribution can be made for the development of the country. Of course, it demands new thinking for such an innovative approach.
In this preliminary examination, we have made certain suggestions on a short-term and a long-term basis, which we are sure, would salvage our country from the science and technological backwardness and abysmal chaos to which we have been pushed in the past.
We hold the view that science and technology go beyond territorial boundaries and that due to historical reasons, scientific knowledge, technology, expertise and skills are available in the West and are being utilized by developed countries for the welfare of their countries. We, therefore, reiterate the need to surpass the territorial boundaries and barriers so that we could reach such repositories of scientific wealth, in order to develop our country. In the same strain, we do not believe that physical presence in a particular country is a prerequisite to share one’s expertise in developing and improving the conditions in our country. We also believe that the availability of technical expertise in this advanced era of a communications revolution, is vast. In such an arena of distance learning and tele-medicine, the only condition required is a solid programme committed to the agenda in hand.
In an era of advanced information technology, geographical boundaries are fast becoming a misnomer. In fact some organizations have used the Diaspora quite efficiently to achieve their objectives. Some of the nations have also solicited the support of the Diaspora for nation- building. So let’s learn from this global experience for the benefit of our motherland than for its destruction. Therefore, we emphasize the possibility and the importance of manipulating this ironic situation of the exodus of professionals, to our advantage, into a treasury of expertise.
Proposals
Proposal 1
One of the most urgent requirements of the day is to launch a comprehensive interactive database and a portal to gather information on expatriate professionals, using the web facility. This should enable the expatriates to provide their details of expertise and the ways in which they are willing to contribute to the knowledge base of the country.
This should become a meeting place for professionals and also will open an avenue for those with similar interests and expertise to form a constructive dialogue. The National Science Foundation currently maintains one such database on a small scale. According to an article, the Science and Technology Policy Research Division (STPRD) of the National Science Foundation conducted a survey to investigate the nature and trends of the external Brain Drain of Sri Lankan scientific community using this database. What I would like to reiterate is that future such attempts should be to formulate a large, national, comprehensive database maintained by a special agency with wider resources.
Diplomatic missions abroad should also play an active role to achieve this target. Similar to trade secretaries, we should appoint from the expatriate community, scientists who can play an ambassadorial role to take up the task of linking back the expatriates.
Proposal 2
Request Sri Lankan expatriate academics in top academic positions in prestigious universities abroad, to join honorary positions in Sri Lankan universities and be involved in training local undergraduates and post-graduates. However, they should not be offered any more privileges than their local counterparts.
Proposal 3
Investing more on knowledge-based economy
To create an overarching research culture in the country as well as in the universities, expatriates could be offered full time research positions to increase the research output.
These are some of the ways, we think, expatiates could be engaged but we are sure many others may have equally good or better thoughts.
Nation-building
I would like to end this with a real example. Even though the establishment of the Institute of Research and Development is a classic example, I prefer to give a similar example here.
Prof. I. M Dharmadasa at Sheffield Hallam University in the United Kingdom, is one such example. He is an expert in solar energy conversion, and an active promoter of renewable energy applications for social development and for reduction of poverty. He coordinated a Higher Education Link programme supported by the British Council, with several Sri Lankan universities from the early 1990s, over a period of 10 years. The main aim was for capacity building in solar energy research and to promote renewable energy applications in the country.
However, the progress he expected was very slow until he met a like- minded, right person from Sri Lanka. Based on a mutually beneficial and respectful partnership with the chairman of SLSEA, Dr. Deheragoda, a “Solar Village” programme has been designed to develop rural communities and a pilot project was started in 2008. He is now working closely with SLSEA (Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority) and the Ministry of Environment to replicate these villages around the country, in order to empower village communities and get their contributions to economic development.
The Sri Lankan expatriates in the United Kingdom have formed an association (APSL-UK: Association of Professional Sri Lankans in the UK, of which I was lucky to be an executive committee member for many years), to pool their knowledge and expertise to help rapid development in Sri Lanka. APSL-UK and the SLSEA are due to meet in July to discuss, plan and implement development projects incorporating new technologies. The chairman, SLSEA, Dr. Deheragoda, will be hosting this meeting at the BMICH in Colombo.
This is only one encouraging development and no doubt many other Sri Lankan expatriates who live in other countries will soon work with local professionals to contribute to this onerous task. There are many individuals who love their native country who are already silently serving the nation with various development projects. I have no doubt there may be not merely hundreds but thousands of others. However, the expatriate population should be considered as important intellectual and financial investments of Sri Lanka and should be systematically and effectively engaged in the post-war nation- building programme.
