Moving people and knowledge : scientific mobility in an enlarging European Union

Summary

Moving People and Knowledge provides a fresh examination of the processes of highly skilled science migration. Focusing on intra-European mobility and, in particular, on the new dynamics of East-West migration, the authors investigate the movement of Polish and Bulgarian researchers to and from the UK and Germany. Key questions include: who is moving, how long for, and why? In addressing the motivations and experiences of mobile scientists and their families, insights into professional and personal motivations are provided, demonstrating how relationships, networks and infrastructures shape decision-making. This book provides a useful perspective on the implications of increasing researcher mobility - for both sending and receiving regions and the individuals concerned - which is necessary for the construction of future policies on sustainable scientific development.

This empirical account provides a nuanced analysis of the duration and flow of scientific mobility showing the prevalence of repeat and shuttle moves in science careers. It will be of particular interest to researchers in European social policy, migration studies and EU law, as well as policymakers in the field of highly skilled migration - especially those working on the free movement of persons provisions and the European Research Area and European Area of Higher Education.