Going and Coming: Why U.S.-Educated Turkish PhD Holders Stay in the U.S. or Return to Turkey?

Abstract

Abstract This qualitative study explores the underlying reasons of the decisions of U.S. educated Turkish professors to stay in the United States or return to Turkey. To collect data, interviews were conducted with a total of 20 U.S. educated faculty members, as 10 returned to Turkey while 10 remained in the United States. The findings generated different themes for returnees and stayers. The themes for returnees are family and cultural values, negative experiences, having teaching and research experience, the role of economy, and the role of incentives. The themes for returnees included more academic opportunities, academic freedom, and the ease of social adjustment and the role of economy. Recommendations such as developing R &D opportunities, increasing the motivation of professors, and eliminating the influence of ideology to have academic freedom are provided to attract more U.S. educated Turkish professors to Turkey in the last chapter. Keywords: Brain drain, reverse brain drain, family and cultural values, human capital, push and push model