Brain Drain and Online Geo-Social Network

Περίληψη

The brain drain phenomenon refers to the migration of highly trained staff, often from less developed to more developed countries. It involves scientists who were trained in countries of origin and move to staff positions elsewhere, with higher salaries, offered by richer and more prestigious companies or universities. In recent years, however, immigration that is often propelled by economic and professional reasons takes a somewhat different from than in the past. Many of the highly qualified immigrants maintain relationships with their original country, culture, and family, and adopt a lifestyle that incorporates both culture and lifestyle of the country of origin and of the host country. This phenomenon is referred to as transnationalism. One of its by-products is the bringing together of communities in different counties, where the immigrants serve as a bridge across geographical and cultural boundaries. At the same time, Online Social Networks became one of the key means of communication through the World Wide Web. These virtual networks are able to collect statistics and use information about users. Τhe wide availability of digital maps in conjunction with the large interest of users for knowledge of spatial information on their activities led to the creation of Geo-Social Networks where users share personal information and geographical position. A very interesting perspective is presented by the creation of an online social network, in which new immigrants exchange information, while sharing geographical location and thereby facilitating interaction at any given time. The result of this exchange is the collection of spatial information, allowing users to easily find their contacts in geographical proximity. This creates a link between immigrants, using geographical information in case users provide it. The purpose of this paper is to analyze this relationship and to examine how the users exchange information. Specifically, it aims to study how online social networks contribute to collaboration and interaction among users, and whether it affects the ties between immigrants. Finally, the construction of a Geo-Social Network of new immigrants (brain drain) is proposed.