The Putin Exodus: The New Russian Brain Drain
Since Vladimir Putin assumed his third term in office in May 2012, Russian emigration has surged to its highest levels since the 1990s. Unlike the 1990s where emigration was driven mostly by economic instability, the emigrants today are fleeing the economic and political system that President Putin has put in place. In addition, those leaving Russia also make up a key segment of Russian society- they are among the best educated, most entrepreneurial, and highly skilled from the middle and upper middle classes. The “Putin exodus,” or the new wave of Russian brain drain, will have profound consequences for Russia’s short- and long-term economic development, political environment, and policy.
The Putin Exodus: The New Russian Brain Drain
Since Vladimir Putin assumed his third term in office in May 2012, Russian emigration has surged to its highest levels since the 1990s. Unlike the 1990s where emigration was driven mostly by economic instability, the emigrants today are fleeing the economic and political system that President Putin has put in place. In addition, those leaving Russia also make up a key segment of Russian society- they are among the best educated, most entrepreneurial, and highly skilled from the middle and upper middle classes. The “Putin exodus,” or the new wave of Russian brain drain, will have profound consequences for Russia’s short- and long-term economic development, political environment, and policy.
The Putin Exodus: The New Russian Brain Drain
