Israel’s brain drain continues due to low job opportunities

Construction workers knock a hole into the Old City walls of occupied Jerusalem to create a new ‘gate’ near the ancient Damascus Gate [Twitter]

Israel’s brain drain has been growing for years due to shortage of job opportunities for highly qualified Israeli researchers as a result of budget shortages, Arab48 reported yesterday.

Reporting on an article in the Hebrew-language daily business newspaper the Marker, Arab48 said hundreds of Israeli PhD holders have no opportunities in the Israeli academic institutions.

The latest report by the American International Education Institute (IIE) showed that the number of Israeli researchers working in the US is the highest compared to the number of Israeli residents.

According to the American report, there were 1,725 Israeli researchers working in US universities in 2017 – a 5.6 per cent increase when compared to 2016.

The Marker pointed out that 1,100 researchers work in Tel Aviv University, the largest Israeli research institution.

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It is believed in Israel that the highly qualified researchers are leaving without the intention of returning, the Marker said.

Israel is listed as the 16th country on the international index of researchers who graduated from the country’s universities and work in the US.

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