Return scholarship of the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia

Abstract

Developing countries suffer from brain drain for many decades. Industrialized countries have raised their barriers against immigrants, but have created mechanisms to attract foreign professionals, with aggressive policies to capture talents, in an effort to increase their competitiveness. To mitigate the effects of the migration of scientists, the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia has created its own “return scholarship” about 12 years ago, and has repatriated 12 scientists through it. The funds invested in attracting the scholars total U.S. $ 333,540.00 and they have secured U.S. $ 9’249,828.42 in research funds during the same period, a figure over 27 times higher. They have published 8 articles in national journals, 68 internationally, and trained 29 undergraduate and 20 graduate students as Thesis Tutors. Other universities and institutions of our countries can emulate this successful experience, which is still evolving.