Zimbabwe seeks to reverse brain drain

Zimbabwe has set up an "intellectual desk" tasked with reversing the brain drain affecting many sectors in the economy, Harare's Herald newspaper reported today.

Its website said the desk, under the ministry of higher and tertiary education, was expected to start operating early next month. "We want to bring back the manpower into the country to offer expertise on a short-term basis in fields like medicine, mining, education, engineering and others," said Washington Mbizvo, the education secretary.

"We are creating a website after we approached the United Nations development programme and the website would be explaining to Zimbabweans and other people outside that come to Zimbabwe, the country is kicking and alive."

Audit to determine loss
Mbizvo said an audit to determine how much the country had lost through brain drain was currently under way.

The desk would have representatives from the Foreign Affairs ministry, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, the employers’ confederation of Zimbabwe and confederation of Zimbabwe Industries.

"We are also looking for critical areas so that we negotiate for scholarships for people to go and get training in those areas," said Mbizvo. "We have already sent people to Nigeria, China and Cuba. We have also recalled retired lecturers to come and lecture at universities on a yearly basis." - Sapa