Brain drain fears spark scholarship plan

The Education Ministry plans to grant full scholarships to produce university lecturers with doctorates, to prepare for a looming shortage.
Education Minister Phongthep Thepkanchana said many lecturers who hold doctorates will approach retirement age in the next 10 to 15 years. The country will be left with a shortage of lecturers with doctorates unless something is done.
Some universities are now encouraging their lecturers to further their studies to a doctoral level, to help ease the shortage. Some lecturers, however, have to finance their own higher study.
"We're probably not doing enough, and new universities will suffer from a lack of doctoral lecturers. Some doctoral programmes require lecturers to study overseas," Mr Phongthep said.
A meeting of higher education staff suggested financial support should be offered to lecturers at all universities to encourage them to pursue doctoral degrees, here and overseas. Read more...