Sumblog 10: Brain Balance

Since we have began talking about the environmental facet of globalization it only makes sense that we would need to talk about people. Since we are humans on this Earth we have a direct connection to what happens to resources, landscapes, and the effects that follow all of our actions. Before addressing these huge issues we must start with the basics. There are 7 billion people on the planet and the distribution between countries and the number of people they hold are not balanced. People have been able to live longer and will continue to do so, which means our home planet needs to be nurtured.
People will always be moving around, so migration is not a new concept to the world. The push and pull factors of immigration and emigration however, have changed over the years. The idea of brain drain and brain gain is very real. I studied in Spain this past spring and would converse with many college students studying a wide variety of subjects. All of them knew they had to go to school in order to receive a job and hopefully a career. More often than not, I ran into people who had gone to England for a years time or so to learn English. They said it was a crucial advantage to know how to speak English since many companies desire it greatly. Some were planning to go to England and Germany for a while to be able to find employment. Many students I talked to knew that this was the only way they were going to be able to survive and thrive in the area they studied. Some even knew it was going to be a long time before they would be able to return to Spain. This is a prime example that Germany and England are gaining many talented and intelligent graduates while Spain is losing its successful individuals in this generation.
In the video I included, it demonstrates this idea. An engineering student went to Germany seeking work and found it. He had to study for 3+ hours every night after work to make sure his German was up to par. He is very skilled in his field and the company that hired him is pleased. The cultural and climatic differences however for the new engineer was  and still is an adjustment. Additionally, the woman running the company said that while Germany's unemployment rate is less than 5%, people are getting older and older and do not have sufficient young people to fill in the positions. We also discussed this in class. If there isn't a balance between the ages and sexes in a country, issues can ensue. Ultimately, gain and drain will occur but I believe it is something the world needs to keep a close eye on so the dynamic between the two isn't too skewed.

VIDEO---> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwukSZNIk2A