Opening Pathways, Building Bridges

Tonatiuh Anzures is a political scientist at the Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico and a specialist in education policy. He holds a PhD in Science and Technology Studies (STS) from University College London (UCL) and an MSc. in Public Policy from the Latin American Faculty for Social Sciences (FLACSO Mexico). He is an Honorary Research Fellow at the STS UCL Department.

List of Figures – Foreword – Professor Brian Balmer: Acknowledgements – List of Abbreviations – Introduction Neither From Here Nor From There: Transnationalism, Identity, and Belonging – Opening Pathways: The Professional Experience of the Brains in the UK – Building Bridges: Collaboration at a Distance, Scientific Diplomacy, and the Challenges for Diaspora Policies – Conclusions – Appendix – Index.

“The anthropology is excellent. The understanding is strong. The ideas are engaging. A must-read for everyone studying transnational science and technology.”—Joe Cain, University College London, UK

“Anzures’ work questions many myths such as the ‘brain drain’ and the ‘loss of talent’ caused by the residence abroad of Mexicans with high levels of training. The establishment of collaborative networks and the development of research topics may contribute, even at a distance, to solving relevant problems in different fields of knowledge. A must-read for
science policy decision-makers in developing countries.”—Rocío Grediaga, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Azcapotzalco, Mexico

“Unlike the majority of studies in Mexican skilled migration, this book is not centred on the US, the typical destination for global talent. Moreover, it is not a quantitative appreciation of what countries ‘lose’ or ‘gain’ when valuable human capital migrates. Instead, Anzures creatively explores the human aspect of skilled migration, with original and even funny details of Mexican policy for scholarships abroad.”—Camelia Tigau, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico

“Skilled migration has become a critical yet insufficiently explored topic internationally. Anzures’ book, focused on Mexican STEM immigrants in the UK from a transnational perspective, provides a valuable and insightful contribution enabling us to expand our understanding of key issues in the field.”—Raúl Delgado Wise, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, Mexico

“Anzures takes us into the personal accounts of Mexican émigrés in the UK, their lives, expectations, fates and challenges in their new home, and considers the impact of this multi-faceted phenomenon as an opportunity to build bridges, a community of interests of mutual benefit to both Mexico and the UK.”—Héctor Hernández García de León, Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico

“Are the highly skilled Mexicans living abroad really ‘drained brains’? Do they stay in touch with their home countries given the distance? If so, how? These are critical questions that have long concerned migration scholars. This book addresses them with a particularity: it was written when the author himself was an international student, allowing him to address the experiences of his interviewees through his own biography.”—Mónica López Ramírez, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico