WILLEMSTAD – The key to reversing brain drain lies in strengthening education across the islands, according to the Advisory Committee of the Strategic Education Alliance (SEA). Education should no longer be seen as a financial burden, but as an investment in the future, the committee argues in its report Braingain: An Integrated Approach, which was presented yesterday on Curaçao.
The report outlines a broad set of measures designed to reduce the flow of young talent leaving for the Netherlands while also encouraging graduates and professionals abroad to return. Central to this strategy is the improvement of local education infrastructure, which the committee views as the foundation for long-term change.
SEA notes that local education institutions often struggle with limited resources, teacher shortages, and a negative reputation, even though many programs carry the same international accreditation as Dutch universities. To counteract this, the report stresses the need for greater investment in education, expansion of study options that align with the labor market, and stronger international cooperation. Programs such as associate degrees and joint tracks with Dutch institutions are highlighted as valuable models that could give students on the islands a more attractive and competitive alternative to studying abroad.
The committee also calls for measures to ease the pressure on young people to pursue studies in the Netherlands. Better information campaigns and stronger pride in local institutions, coupled with reforms to student financing, should help reduce the push to leave. For those who do go abroad, SEA proposes better support for students who drop out in the Netherlands, ensuring they can continue their studies back home without stigma and with credit for courses already completed.
Another focus of the report is maintaining strong ties with students studying overseas to prevent them from losing their connection to their home islands. Incentives such as reductions in student debt and support with housing could make returning after graduation more appealing. For professionals, the committee recommends options like trainee programs, job-matching initiatives, alumni networks, and opportunities to work remotely as ways to facilitate their reintegration.
SEA warns that the future economic development and self-reliance of the islands depend on having enough highly educated people available. “We are living in a time of technological disruption that will overturn many sectors while creating new opportunities. The countries with young, entrepreneurial talent will be the winners ten years from now,” the report concludes.
Braingain: An Integrated Approach builds on earlier studies and practical experiences and calls for structural reforms to tackle the root causes of brain drain once and for all.
