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THE FOREIGN POSTDOCTORAL
Pages 205-223

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From page 205...
... " The answer depends on the previous training and research record of the individual, on his motivation and persistence, on his ability to work effectively with the other members of the research group, and, of course, on his native ability. It is possible in the first approximation to attribute national characteristics to the style of education, to the mode and breadth of research activities, and to the cultural attributes that describe personality and drive, but these are the components of a stereotype and are particularly inappropriate when one is looking for the creative researcher.
From page 206...
... If it is possible to hire a more experienced foreign scientist for the same salary he would have to pay an inexperienced American PhD,1 then he would be prudent to do so. The reasons that may prompt the foreign scientist to take the position, the training experience that may be present in the postdoctoral appointment, and the relevance of the research for the country from which the scientist comes are deemed not to be the responsibility of the agency program officer.
From page 207...
... When asked if this proportion of foreign postdoctorals was a matter of concern, over two thirds of the university administrators expressed none. A few regretted the relative lack of American students, some worried over the brain drain and the high proportion of foreign students in certain fields, but less than 15 percent expressed concern in any general way.
From page 208...
... A related situation is demonstrated in Table 50, where the foreign postdoctorals according to the per capita GNP of their home country are distributed among the types of universities. Not only do the developing universities 3This assumes that the American postdoctorals have no less financial need or no less marketability than their classmates who do not seek postdoctoral appointments.
From page 209...
... The preponderance will phase out within a few years as the wave of the postwar population boom swells the ranks of postdoctoral fellows. The contribution that United States institutions make to the postdoctoral education of foreign nationals will be amply repaid in a continuing flow of the academic progeny which these foreign postdoctorals will produce upon their return to their native countries.
From page 211...
... In other words, if they become too high a proportion of the students in a department, they will find it increasingly hard to get what they came here for. Leaving aside questions of policy, let us examine what the foreign postdoctoral picture looks like and why, from the point of view of the foreign postdoctoral himself and that of his faculty mentor.
From page 212...
... In the course of these migrations Emilio G Segre visited Otto Stem in Hamburg and Pieter Zeeman in Amsterdam, Franco Rasetti visited Lise Meitner in Berlin and Robert A
From page 213...
... 4 AUSTRALIA ISRAEL - » SWITZERLAND •. ITALY -- « ARGENTINA .' FRANCE PHILIPPINES : 800 200 400 600 NUMBER OF POSTDOCTORALS Source: NRC, Office of Scientific Personnel, Postdoctoral Census Questionnaire
From page 214...
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From page 215...
... He was particularly enthusiastic about the Dutchman, who brought an excellent knowledge of certain enzymes of interest to the professor. The physics department head at a leading midwestern university put it this way: Postdoctorals from countries where scientific research is well developed bring to the United States novel points of view, ideas, methods and interpretations.
From page 216...
... This "use it or lose it" syndrome, as it is called by the program officers in the federal agencies, undoubtedly plays a role in the foreign postdoctoral picture, although it is difficult to assess to what degree.6 It must be recalled (Table 49) that one fifth of the foreign postdoctorals received their PhD's in this country.
From page 217...
... Only for theoretical training in chemistry and the medical specialties and for experimental training in physiology, in the social sciences, and in the medical specialties, however, do a majority of the faculty feel that the foreign postdoctoral is less well trained. The overall impression is that foreign postdoctorals are somewhat less desirable than Americans and that their large numbers reflect in part a shortage of Americans.
From page 218...
... 218 THE FOREIGN POSTDOCTORAL n Country, O)
From page 219...
... Each postdoctoral who answered our census questionnaire was asked to indicate his probable location following his current appointment. The faculty mentor was asked to list the foreign postdoctorals who worked for him in 1961 -62 and to give their current addresses, if known.
From page 220...
... 220 THE FOREIGN POSTDOCTORAL O "8 in 8 u B
From page 221...
... It may well be that there are more opportunities at home for people with postdoctoral backgrounds today than there were in the early 1960's.8 In all of the data there is a relationship between per capita GNP and the tendency to return home, with those from very low-income countries showing TABLE 52 Future Location as Projected by 1967 Foreign Postdoctorals and Present Location of 1961-62 Foreign Postdoctorals Percentage of Foreign Postdoctorals by Location after Appointment Per Capita GNP of Home Country Year of Postdoctoral Appointment Home Country USA Third Country Country Unknown Total High 1967 71 13 4 12 100 1961-62 66 21 7 5 99 Medium 1967 65 21 4 11 101 1961-62 61 18 11 10 100 Low 1967 44 32 3 21 100 1961-62 35 63 4 8 100 Very low 1967 67 18 2 13 100 1961-62 49 29 14 8 100 Total 1967 66 17 4 13 100 1961-62 62 24 8 6 100 Source: NRC, Office of Scientific Personnel, Postdoctoral Census and Faculty Questionnaires. 8In the United Kingdom the number of staff members at institutions of higher education grew from 16,000 in 1961-62 to about 21,900 in 1965-66.
From page 222...
... Although two thirds of all foreign postdoctorals responding to our postdoctoral census questionnaire declared their intention to return home, only 37 percent of those who received their PhD's in this country so intend. Of those who came to the United States after receiving their doctorate, over 84 percent plan to go home.
From page 223...
... I don't believe there is so much a 'brain drain' as a 'brain overflow.'"


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