Cost benefit of academic mobility, brain drain and migration: Western balkans in a crossroad

BACKGROUND: In recent years, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo have witnessed a notable increase in the number of skilled individuals, including healthcare professionals, seeking employment outside the country. OBJECTIVE: This paper’s research objective is to determine the factors influencing the brain drain of young individuals who work abroad based on the migration push and pull factors of healthcare professionals in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo. METHODS: This paper combines a qualitative and quantitative research design. Data was generated via a questionnaire addressed to 300 young healthcare professionals. In addition, logistic regression was selected to evaluate future migration intentions. RESULTS: One of this paper’s main findings is that young healthcare professionals cannot make a sound judgment on whether remuneration in the destination country will improve their situation. CONCLUSIONS: The absence of accounting literacy is one of the main factors in young professionals’ poor judgment. The negative correlation between home country opportunities and migration intentions appeals to significant reforms in the health care sector to deter brain drain from the Western Balkan region.