The country we live in has experienced many difficulties over the years. Some of them are still happening. It has been 12 years since the beginning of the severe economic crisis that plagued our country and has drastically changed our lives. A consequence of this was obviously the decadence of a variety of other areas of the system, such as health or education. Unfortunately, Greece is going through a difficult and critical period in its history, which will definitely be engraved in all Greeks’ memories.
But because I am neither an economist, nor a doctor, nor an educator, but a student, I will talk about an outcome of the crisis which has surely brought our country to its knees and will continue to do so: Brain Drain. It involves the flight of young Greek university students, graduates, or workers, abroad in order to seek better educational and professional prospects. This phenomenon, of course, is not new- it has always existed as an idea in the minds of young people to leave their country and follow their own path somewhere far away- however in recent years it has taken alarming dimensions. We count hundreds of thousands of college students and prospective employees leaving the country collectively and many times without a plan to return.
Personally, I don’t blame them. Without diminishing the educational and professional opportunities in Greece, I must say that, at first, they’re not to be compared with those abroad. A doctor in Germany or an engineer in Dubai will have more opportunities to excel and become financially independent faster than their counterparts in our country. Of course, this is not the rule, but, if we think about it, we all know an example in our wider social circle that has followed a similar path and succeeded. For this reason, this particular phenomenon is both positive and negative.
Parents boast about their children for excelling abroad, but at the same time they’re embittered about the spiritual drain of the country. The children of my generation often grow up hearing that Greece is doomed, and that it is in the best interest to go “out” in order to succeed. And that makes me wonder how a country that lacks fresh and innovative minds will evolve. But looking at the will and vision of some people, another question arises: What is the right path for qualified and ambitious young people that want to succeed, while also helping their own country? There is not a single correct answer here. There are many ways to reach this point. But surely Greece should become more “attractive” to those who want to improve it.
An important effort, about which I recently read, seems to be the Brain Regain program of the nonprofit association “Greek Roots”. It is an initiative for the repatriation of Greeks who have been abroad seeking better professional prospects. Their vision is to strengthen Greek businesses and the national economy through the return of competent members to Greece. This project essentially connects Greeks who wish to return with high-ranking executives of major Greek companies, who function as mentors and provide any help possible in finding a job. The impressive factor of this program is that it’s all part of voluntary work, both on the part of the executives and that of the association’s managers.
The meaning behind this indicative example is that there is certainly a will for the return of young Greeks and for the development of the country, which they will lead themselves anyways. For many this may be considered an ideal- even utopian- scenario, but if we don’t try to change the situation, then who will? To conclude, it is worth mentioning that, as long as search is part of the Greek nature, so is returning home. The intense desire of Greek people for repatriation combined with targeted efforts can constitute a good beginning of “Regain Greece”.
Translated by Panagiota Katsaveli
Reviewed by Savvas Katsidonis
Photography by Maria-Polina Vasilikou