Jamaica urged to tap diaspora talent to close research gap, scientist says

A leading Jamaican scientist is urging a strategic rethink of how the country views its overseas talent, arguing that the diaspora could be central to transforming Jamaica’s research and development capacity from chronic shortage to global competitiveness.

Speaking at the College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE) Research Day Expo in Portland, Errol Morrison called for a shift away from the long-standing “brain drain” narrative toward what he described as a “brain gain” model — one that actively connects Jamaica’s overseas professionals with national research priorities.

He pointed to World Bank benchmarks suggesting that countries serious about innovation require around 2,000 people per million engaged in research and development. For Jamaica’s population of roughly three million, that translates to about 6,000 active R&D professionals. By contrast, he said, Jamaica currently has only about 750 graduate-level researchers working locally.

The gap, he argued, is driven largely by migration. According to Morrison, around 80 per cent of Jamaica’s highly trained tertiary graduates — including those with master’s and doctoral degrees — now live and work abroad, leaving a significant portion of the country’s intellectual capital outside its borders.

But he also framed that reality as an opportunity rather than a permanent loss. Morrison cited estimates of about 60,000 qualified individuals within the Jamaican and wider Caribbean diaspora who could potentially contribute to research initiatives if properly engaged through structured national programmes and projects.

He suggested that targeted collaboration — linking overseas experts with local research needs — could help reverse the effects of brain drain and create a mutually beneficial system where diaspora expertise supports domestic innovation while also offering professional engagement opportunities for those abroad.

The idea, he said, aligns with earlier academic thinking on diaspora engagement and could be strengthened by clearly defined national research priorities that attract participation from scientists and professionals overseas.

Morrison also pointed to recent government moves to strengthen the country’s science and innovation agenda, including the appointment of Andrew Wheatley as Minister Without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for science, technology and special projects. He said the administration has signalled plans to mobilise funding for priority research areas, which could provide a framework for greater diaspora involvement.

For Jamaicans abroad — especially those in academia, health, engineering and technology — the proposal signals a possible shift in how the island views its global talent pool: not as a loss to be lamented, but as an asset waiting to be activated.