HKIER

Abstract

During the last decades Taiwan has moved from a prime example of brain drain or non-return of scientists and engineers who went to the United States to study and stayed in the U.S. after graduation, to an example of a country where a high percentage of graduates return home after study abroad. This article reviews the historical evolution of the reentry phenomenon over time with particular attention to quality of life (familial, social, and political) factors. Findings from two National Science Foundation (U.S., #INT-8420095) and National Science Council (ROC) funded research projects to study reentry are discussed. Two research projects, one quantitative and one qualitative, are discussed and patterns of factors contributing to reentry are described. Case examples are also presented to personalize the problem situations confronting Taiwan graduates in science and engineering fields as they decide whether or not to return home after study abroad. Finally, questions are generated for future research.

摘要

在過去數十年，台灣受到人才流失的問題影響，留學美國的科學家和工程師在完成學業後，都選擇留在彼邦。但現在，情況已大大不同，回流台灣的畢業生人數的百分率十分高。本文回顧過去回流的歷史演進情況，並且特別注意生命質素（如家庭、社會、政治）等因素。美國國家科學基金和國家科學委員會（台灣）支持的兩項研究計劃結果亦在討論範圍之內，而這兩項計劃分別是量化和質化研究。另外，本文會描述導致回流的種種因素，並會列出一些個案例子，活生生的說明台灣畢業生在外國完成學業後，在決定回去台灣與否時所面對的問題。一些有待繼續探討的問題，會在文章末段提出來。