However, a story written by Stefanie Olsen at CNET, highlights that research undertaken by AnnaLee Saxenian, dean of the School of Information at the University of California, Berkeley, shows that indeed brain drain occurs but it is not all one way traffic!

Rather, skilled workers will often spend time abroad but often return, set up businesses, create jobs and move overseas again. This is a new phenomenon of ‘brain circulation' Olsen contests.

Although the research is Silicon Valley specific, it could be applied to any part of the world, especially with increased migration world wide.