Reverse Brain Drain in China: a Qualitative Policy Analysis

Abstract

The thesis aims to research the effectiveness of government policies in regards to encouraging return migration. The importance of migration from China as well as the causes and effects are explored. The theories behind return migration and the motivational factors are explained and analyzed in the context of China. The literature review covers the critical perspectives regarding return migration and the current research in the field. By utilizing two different frameworks, the thesis is an attempt to answer questions regarding effectiveness of Chinas central government policies. The policies have been categorized into two groups: the policy-oriented approach and the project-oriented approach. The policy-oriented approach refers to widespread goals or attempts to increase the rate of returning migrants. The project-oriented approach is more specific in regards to who the program hopes to reach, and what the specific end goal is. Gornitzas framework is used to test the effectiveness of national government policies while Weisss framework is used to test effectiveness of more specific schemes such as the Thousand Talents Policy and Cheung Kong Scholar Program. To rate the effectiveness, the numbers of returning migrants in recent years as well as aspects of programs such as requirements and incentives were analyzed. The major finding was that the national policies had limited effectiveness on long-term return migration due to vagueness of goals and lack of comprehensive incentives for various positions. The short length of programs may also contribute to their limited effects. The government support for the development of the high-tech city, Zhongguancun was analyzed to be the most effective comprehensive form of state effort towards attracting talented migrants back to mainland China.