Published on: August 12, 2011

Linda Kristjanson

Writing in The Australian newspaper, Linda Kristjanson, Vice Chancellor of Australia’s New Swinburne University, Professor of Palliative Care Nursing and researcher, quotes from US President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address to the US Congress:

Obama's State of the Union address 2011

“Why do we train international students in our education system to advanced degree level, and then send them home to compete against us?

We should encourage them to stay in the US [..] to run research labs and build new businesses”

Read the full opinion piece: “Why overseas postgrads should be encouraged to stay”

That raises an important question that we in India should ask ourselves:

Why do we in India – at an enormous expense that should have gone in to welfare of our own suffering people – train doctors, nurses, engineers and other professionals so that Western countries are given a work force? Ultimately, at our poor country’s cost.

At least for those who are willing to return to our country and serve our people, does our system encourage them by providing opportunities? Or do we discourage them with our red tape and unfriendly bureaucracy?

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