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41 Hitotsubashi J.L. & Pol. 1 (2013)

handle is hein.journals/hbijllw41 and id is 1 raw text is: 







Hitotsubashi Journal of Law and Politics 41 (2013), pp.1-10.  C Hitotsubashi University


HIGHLY-SKILLED IMMIGRANTS IN GLOBAL POLITICAL ECONOMY*



                                    ATSUSHI YAMADA




                                        Introduction

     The advancement   of science and technology (S&T)  has significantly expanded the range of
national policies involved in the promotion of scientific and technological innovation. Although
narrowly  defined S&T  policies (such as state-funded research and development  programs)  still
play a role, today's S&T policies are far more wide-ranging, including trade, finance, monetary,
competition, intellectual property, tax, education, defense, and other policies.
     The  immigration policy discussed  in this paper is another policy area that has come into
focus in recent years for the promotion of S&T.  Specifically, many countries find it essential to
attract people with specialized skills and knowledge   from overseas  in order to enhance  and
stimulate their own research and development. As  a result, the competition for talent is growing
on a global scale (Kapur &  McHale  2005; Ooi  2010).
     This  essay discusses the  significance of these highly-skilled immigrants  in the  global
political economy. First, it overviews the transnational movement of highly-skilled migrants and
examine  the global trend of brain circulation. Second, it investigates the immigration policy in
three major  countries: the United  States, the world's largest host country  of highly-skilled
immigrants;  China,  the world's largest exporter of  highly-skilled immigrants; and  Japan, a
nation struggling in the global hunt for talent. Finally, it discusses some of the major issues in
international politics raised by the ever increasing numbers of highly-skilled immigrants.


                      I.   Highly-Skilled   Immigrants at a Glance

     In this essay, the term highly-skilled immigrants refers to those who have left their home
country  to pursue  careers overseas in professions that require highly  specialized skills and
knowledge.  Computer   engineers and scientists from China and India working  in Silicon Valley
in the U.S. are a classic example.
     To  see the worldwide  distribution of high-tech immigrants, Table 1 ranks countries with
the number  of tertiary educated residents who have migrated  from overseas. In 2000, the U.S.
was  the overwhelming  leader with more than  10 million highly-skilled immigrants, followed by
Canada  (about  2,740,000), Australia (1,540,000), the UK   (1,260,000), Germany   (1 million),
France  (610,000), and Japan  (330,000). The  figures for the decade 1990  to 2000  increase in


  *  This essay was originally written as a discussion paper for the lecture series, Science, Technology, and
International Politics at the School of International and Public Policy, Hitotsubashi University. For more detailed
discussion of the topic, see Atsushi Yamada, Haiteku Imin Kenkyu Josetsu (An Introduction to the Analysis of Highly-
Skilled Immigrants), The Hitotsubashi Journal of Law and International Studies, Vol.8, No.2, July 2009, pp.459-484.

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