Higher Education in Nepal and Brain Drain: A Study of its Economic Impact on Countries with Special Reference to Nepal

Abstract

Brain drain occurred in Nepal since long but exact date not been identified but Muscle drain started since back to 200 years brain drain’s momentum started since 80’s decade. The Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are 1440 with 12 universities and 5 medical academics have been functional, and some others are added to the list. All these HEIs are producing 460826 professionals and among them, Medical Academics alone produces 2350 higher level, medical professionals. There were 2409 students who secured a no-objection letter from the Ministry of education from January to July 2022. Push-pull factors which are highly associated with p-value=0.001 were found the main cause of brain drain. It was difficult to find proper data since there is no system of recording brain drain. The cost of brain drain is immeasurable, according to the study, if the 350 students of MBBS who are subsidized by the government for their study leave the country, the government will have lost 10.85 to 18.2 million USD and the brain drain receiving countries do have a trend to receive young professionals. The government should have a proper plan to retain the professionals in the country for development