Mapping the Brazilian Scientific Diaspora: Migration Patterns of PhDs in Global Mobility

Abstract

A scientific diaspora refers to a community of scientists who have emigrated from their home country to work in another nation. This study investigates this phenome in depth the Brazilian context, examining who comprises this diaspora (doctorates, postdocs, lecturers), where they have migrated, and their areas of study. We conducted this examination based on publications by Brazilian doctors who graduated between 2005 and 2021, as well as post-doctorates and students with full doctorate scholarships abroad. These students were identified on the CAPES open data website. The publications of these authors were captured in Scopus and Web of Science. Then those with addresses abroad were analysed in Vosviewer and using logistic regression (stayed abroad or not), area of knowledge and a decision tree to see the effect of the Brazilian university region, type of institution and scholarship on the decision to migrate. The level of diaspora is approximately 1.7% among all doctorates trained in Brazil, reaching 6.6% in postdoctoral scholars with experience abroad. This suggests that PhDs with advanced training and experience have a higher propensity to emigrate from Brazil. These PhDs predominantly choose to migrate to North America and Western Europe, with a strong preference for careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. Brazilian PhDs with international experience tend to have a more diverse migration pattern, while those who complete their PhD in Brazil show a distinct preference for migrating to Portugal, indicating differing global mobility based on scientific experience. A decision tree analysis reveals that life or exact sciences PhDs, those who graduated after 2012, and obtained their postgraduate degrees from institutions in the southeast or south of Brazil are more likely to migrate. While the reasons behind these migration patterns are not evaluated in this study, better job prospects, higher salaries, or more substantial research funding could be influential factors in the decision to migrate.