Emigration of Mexican talent: What price development?

Mexican public funds support scholarship grants — about 42% to the United States — at the rate of several million dollars a year. The benefits to Mexico remain largely unexamined, as there is little follow-up. Unpublished figures suggest that some Mexican students may remain in the United States after graduation. Support of foreign-study scholarships is a well-established and popular policy. While it could be matched with a more proactive policy of management of scientific and professional resources, including raising the academic standards of graduate programs at Mexican universities, the benefits of graduate study abroad far outweigh simple cost-benefit considerations. However, the official scholarship policies could be revised to provide a sharper focus on the current needs of the Mexican economy. In particular, repayment of the scholarship grant should no longer be required when a returning scholar is gainfully employed in industry.