Brain Drain - When the Dream of Studying Abroad Becomes a Loss for the Nation

The phenomenon of “brain drain” is no longer unfamiliar. Every year, numerous young Vietnamese head overseas. Yet many of these youngsters, educated with family resources and sometimes even national funding, end up building their lives abroad. So what do we lose? Doctors who might have saved lives, engineers who could have built innovations, and researchers who could have pushed Vietnam to the frontiers of technology owing to the global knowledge they keep up to date with.

I share this dream of studying abroad. However, whenever I think about it, a question weighs heavily on me: “If I go, will I come back?” According to a report from the Consular Department of Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, cited by VnExpress (October 30, 2024), as many as 80% of self-funded Vietnamese students do not return home after graduation. Owing to better compensations, opportunities for career growth, and an ecosystem that respects knowledge, students choose to stay. By contrast, those who return often face burdensome bureaucracy, limited incentives, and workplaces that do not always value creativity.

No one should be blamed for choosing their own path. But as someone standing at the threshold of studying abroad, I can't ignore the fact that Vietnam spends up to 1.4 billion USD annually for more than 100,000 students overseas, most of whom end up contributing their talents to other societies. Furthermore, even among those studied on government scholarships, as many as 67% choose to remain abroad, according to Tuoi Tre News. 

So the real question my generation asks isn’t “Should we come back to contribute?” but rather “Is there room at home for us to contribute?” We long for a place where merit matters more than connections, where young people can work, create, and grow without being held back by outdated systems. Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính also spoke out on this issue when meeting with overseas Vietnamese intellectuals in New York. He expressed the view that it should not be overly burdensome whether one works at home or abroad, sharing that “if our generation has not accomplished it, then your generation will.” For me, the answer is clear: I will return. If the country does not have a place, then we will create one ourselves. I believe the knowledge, skills, and networks gained from studying abroad are for both personal advancement and to strengthen our homeland. That is why I join small-leading student initiatives, and organize community projects that prove young people can innovate and build even within constraints. These actions are my way of persuading fellow Vietnamese students abroad that coming home is not a compromise, but a chance to transform what we have learned into something larger than ourselves: a stronger, fairer Vietnam.