Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP6338
Authors: Dan Bendavid
Abstract: Despite their small number, Israeli economists have become an important fixture in the international academic scene. In recent years, this phenomenon has been characterized by an additional attribute: the number of Israelis who have chosen to leave the country?s universities - or not to return to them - a process that has brought Israel?s top economics departments to the brink.The elimination of the country from the international research envelope in the future has become a realistic possibility that will impact not only the State of Israel, which stands to lose the most, but the profession in general. This article provides a snapshot of an implosion in progress. It also provides a case study that is important for other countries to understand as some steadily advance toward the Israeli scenario.
Keywords: academic economists; brain drain; Israel; migration; rankings
JEL Codes: A11; F22; H52; H83; I23; J31; J61; O15
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| salary differentials (J31) | emigration of Israeli economists (F22) |
| promotion processes (M51) | emigration of Israeli economists (F22) |
| decline in quality of Israeli academia (I23) | emigration of top-tier economists (F22) |
| emigration of top-tier economists (F22) | decline in quality of Israeli academia (I23) |