Researchers in Portugal: The brain drain, circulation and digital nomadism nexus

Abstract

Researchers are often associated with migration and forms of geographical movement that include mobility facilitated by digital technology. This article explores experiences from across this spatial nexus in Portugal, using evidence from 48 interviews with researchers conducted in 2022 and 2023. At a conceptual level, the discussion takes into account the salience of the ideas of ‘brain drain’ and ‘brain circulation’ alongside emerging signs of ‘digital nomadism’. The evidence suggests that migration has been important to certain interviewees in the past, particularly during the formative years of their careers, mostly in the sense of ‘brain circulation’ rather than ‘brain drain.’ However, there are also indications that people who started their research careers more recently are engaging in hybrid working modes, living in one place while employed at a university in another, interpreted as a pragmatic form of digital technology-enabled nomadism.