Mónica Fernández Arias followed a path taken by many academics. She started her career in her home country of Spain before moving abroad to work in laboratories in Germany and the United Kingdom. However, her ultimate goal was always to return home. She wanted to go back to the Vigo region in northwest Spain.
Today, she has achieved that goal. She is working as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Vigo. According to her, the facilities are excellent. She notes that there is no major difference in terms of resources compared to other places she has worked. She feels they are in a very strong position technically.
However, there are unique social challenges. One of the hardest parts of her job is simply explaining to international colleagues where Vigo is located on a map. Despite this, she feels lucky. She is happy to be back among her family and enjoying the lifestyle she grew up with.
Sadly, her story is an exception rather than the rule. She points out that the academic system often pushes people to look for stability in other countries. Even though Vigo has good infrastructure and a strong industrial sector, many of her former colleagues remain abroad.
“It’s very sad, but they have been abroad for 10 years,” Fernández Arias said. She explained that their lives are now established in those foreign countries. It has become very difficult for them to return, even if a job opportunity arises.
The Struggle of Depopulating Regions
This is not just a problem for Spain. Across Europe, regions that are losing their populations are struggling to attract and keep talent. While Europe as a whole continues to bring in researchers from around the world, specific areas are falling behind.
A team of researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Germany developed the Scholarly Migration Database to track these movements. Their study on migration patterns revealed a clear divide.
In general, the Nordic countries in the north of Europe are successful at attracting researchers. In contrast, regions in the south tend to see more scholars leaving than arriving. However, there are some exceptions. For instance, the Trentino-Alto Adige region in Italy has become a popular destination, with more scholars arriving than leaving since 2017.
Professor Aliakbar Akbaritabar, the lead author of the study, noted that there are interesting dynamics at play. Some scholars move to these regions from other parts of the same country. However, he confirmed that many regions in Italy and Spain send more scholars abroad than they receive.
The “Double Effort” for Success
The decline in population has serious consequences for the researchers who stay. Professor Juan María Pou Saracho is Fernández Arias’ PhD supervisor. He is also a colleague on the EU-funded EVERGLASS project.
Pou explains that depopulation often leads to a lower reputation for local institutions. This means researchers must put in a “double effort” to achieve success. They have to work twice as hard to get their research published or to win funding compared to peers in more famous regions.
The local economy also plays a role. Pou noted that manufacturing plants in these regions often do not have the money to invest in research. As a result, researchers cannot rely on industry funding. Instead, they become dependent on university teaching contracts.
This creates a vicious cycle. If the university does not have enough teaching spots, they cannot offer long-term contracts. Without the promise of a stable job, more researchers decide to leave the region.
Brain Drain in Slovakia and Poland
In Slovakia, the problem is competition with neighbors. Professor Dušan Galusek works at the Alexander Dubcek University in Trencín, Western Slovakia. He says the biggest problem they face is “brain drain”.
There are four Czech cities with universities within 50 kilometers of Trencín. Students from Slovakia can study there under the same conditions as they do at home. It is estimated that 21,000 Slovak students are currently studying in the Czech Republic. Galusek admits that most of them will find jobs there and never return.
A similar situation exists in Lublin, Poland. Dr. Barbara Sowinska-Swierkosz from the University of Life Sciences in Lublin notes that the city is only a two-hour train ride from Warsaw, the capital. This proximity creates tough competition for recruiting students.
Recent geopolitical events have made things even harder. Before the war in Ukraine, the Lublin region had strong educational cooperation with its neighbor. However, after the Russian invasion in 2022, researchers from Western Europe became afraid to visit. They were reluctant to attend conferences or join projects due to fears about instability.
Although these fears have decreased, the area still faces risks. For example, the local airport in Lublin had to close briefly in September due to Russian drones in Polish airspace.
Finding New Solutions
Despite these difficulties, regional universities are finding innovative ways to fight back.
In Lublin, the city has been designated as the European Capital of Culture for 2029. Sowinska-Swierkosz expects this will lead to new programs for students financed by the city. She has also used a “Visiting Professors” program to invite international researchers to teach in Lublin for short periods.
In Slovakia, Galusek’s university is using a “double degree” system. They have signed agreements with universities in countries like Italy, France, and Germany. Students can study at both institutions and receive a diploma from both. This is particularly attractive to students from outside the EU who want a degree from a highly-ranked university.
Furthermore, they are trying to keep their best graduates by offering them postdoctoral contracts for at least two years. Galusek notes that some of these people eventually decide to stay in the country for good.
Conclusion
The battle to attract and retain researchers in Europe’s regional universities is ongoing. For Professor Pou in Vigo, the best strategy is to be smart with resources. He suggests that smaller regions should focus intensely on a few specific areas of research, similar to how Finland concentrated its efforts decades ago. By specializing in sectors like laser research, these regions hope to create a niche that draws talent back home, reversing the trend of migration and revitalizing their local academic communities.
