39% of them are seriously considering returning in the coming year - so reveals a new survey by the Science Abroad organization that encourages scientists abroad to return to Israel. The survey was presented this week in a special discussion on brain recovery in the Knesset's Science Committee
A new survey by the organization of Israeli scientists abroad - ScienceAbroad (ScienceAbroad) conducted these days among the organization's 2500 members worldwide reveals that 48% of the Israeli scientists staying abroad are defined as having a high potential for absorption as returning residents and that 39% of the survey respondents are seriously considering returning to Israel in a year the nearest Many of the respondents emphasized their desire and the importance of receiving information about employment in their professional field in Israel. The survey reveals that 76% of the Israelis who go for a post-doctorate abroad did so with the aim of returning to a research position in the Israeli academy and 40% of them reported that the reason for staying abroad stems from a professional challenge and the ability to find a suitable position. The survey was presented this week in a special discussion of the Knesset's Science Committee on the subject of brain recovery.
The Sainsbrod organization stated that the organization currently has over 2500 Israeli researchers worldwide as members, of which 1128 are outside of Israel. Since the establishment of Science Abroad, 644 scientist members of the organization have returned to Israel with their families - 60% to academia and 36% to industry. An annual return of close to 79 million NIS just from the tax money of the scientists who returned to Israel.
It was also reported that over 76% of Science Abroad members who went on a postdoctorate abroad did so with the aim of returning to academic research, according to the CBS and the National Program for the Repatriation of Academics, one out of ten people who received a PhD in Israel lives abroad, over 50% of the post PhD students are in the fields of life sciences, only 7% of PhD graduates in life sciences are accepted as faculty members in the academy. After several years abroad, 21% of the organization's members stated that they give up their desire to return to academia and are looking for another career path.
The debate in the science committee was initiated by MK Prof. Manuel Trachtenberg and the chairman of the science committee, MK Uri Makleb. Trachtenberg emphasized that the main resource of the country is the Jewish mind and praised the activity of the Seinsabrod organization on the subject of repatriation of brains. MK Yelin added that "they are the natural gas of the State of Israel". MK Oded Forer said that the main problem lies in returning to the academy and noted the great importance of maintaining contact with Israeli researchers who are staying abroad. Liat Maoz from the Council for Higher Education said that the target of 5000 faculty positions in the academy is close to being achieved and stands at 4900 per year, half of the faculty members who were recruited came from abroad. Dr. Shmuel Hess, co-founder and chairman of the Organization of Israeli Scientists Abroad, thanked the partners, led by the Ministry of Immigration and Absorption, who have supported the organization's activities since its inception. According to Hess: "48% of our members staying abroad have a high potential to return to Israel if they find attractive alternatives in Israel, we see our role in revealing these alternatives to them." Dr. Neta Kela, a member of the Science Abroad organization, said that she completed her doctorate at the Weizmann Institute and went to a post-doctorate at Stanford, where she was exposed to the organization's activities. She said that the decision to return to Israel was emotional due to the desire to raise her children in Israel.
One of the main reasons for scientists moving abroad is for a postdoctoral period, which is required of PhD recipients in Israel as a condition for a career in research. Also, most of the young researchers who are hired abroad will find it difficult to return due to a lack of standards in the research universities. Monica Lev-Cohen, CEO of the ScienceAbroad organization, emphasizes that "the great challenge is to encourage Israeli scientists who are in post-doctorate abroad to consider career paths in industry. The scientists grew up in universities in Israel and left for postings abroad with the aim of reintegrating as faculty members in universities in Israel. The number of people accepted into academic positions in Israel is tiny, especially in the fields of life sciences and the scientists find themselves at the crossroads of making decisions at the end of the post whether to try their luck in academia abroad. Most of them do not have the skills required to be absorbed in the industry in Israel and above all lack the motivation." Monica discovered that the Teva company has picked up the gauntlet and is working with the Sainsbrod organization on the subject of training scientists for industry "We are turning to key people in the Israeli industry to volunteer and assist us in training Israeli scientists who are staying abroad to return to industry in Israel."
Recently, a series of entrepreneurship meetings was held at the initiative of the Sainsbrod organization with Dr. Neta Kela, with the support of the Business Entrepreneurship Division of the Ministry of Immigration and Absorption, the meetings were designed to give tools to scientists to consider the entrepreneurial option as a path back to Israel.
The organization of Israeli scientists abroad ScienceAbroad (formerly BioAbroad) is a non-profit organization operating since 2006, to maintain contact with Israeli researchers around the world. The organization is an international community for Israeli researchers staying abroad and operates 22 centers on prominent campuses in the world managed by volunteer scientists. The organization also works to connect Israeli academics with themselves, with the local community and to strengthen the relationship between them and the scientific community in Israel. The organization provides tools and connections and opens doors for Israeli scientists who wish to return to Israel in order to bring with them the knowledge, talent, experience and connections they have gained to academia and industry as a growth engine for Israel. ScienceAbroad members are involved in projects on campuses around the world to improve Israel's image and brand Israel as a research and development country. The organization holds meetings with senior officials from academia and industry at its centers abroad, online seminars, employment and entrepreneurship fairs, an updated job calendar and scholarships to finance flights for applicants to attend job interviews in Israel. The organization operates with the support of the Ministry of Immigration and Absorption, universities in Israel and the Israeli American Council (IAC).
More of the topic in Hayadan:
More than half of those admitted to the senior faculty at universities are returning scientists
