The loss of young talent has been the biggest hit for Slovakia. More than 30,000 students were studying abroad in 2020 and almost 10% of all Slovaks live abroad, double the rate of other comparable Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries.

One in five Slovak university students are enrolled at foreign institutions, according to OECD data, a much higher proportion than the EU’s average of 4% studying abroad. And those who leave are those with the best exam results, according to research published in 2020.  

This loss of talent impacts the economy, with one estimate suggesting the loss of each university-educated individual translates to €2.8m ($3m) over their lifetime.  

For Slovakia, a country that has struggled to change its economic model from production to innovation, the cultivation, retention, and attraction of talented human capital is essential.   

Reversing this loss has become imperative for sustained growth and a key agenda for politicians, government institutions, and civil society organizations. The main challenge is to persuade at least 40,000 of the 1m Slovaks recorded to be living abroad to return home.

VAIA, the government’s newly formed research and innovation authority, has the issue in its sights, and Iva Kleinova, director of strategy, uses the €2.8m estimate to capture the interest of politicians and the public.   

Civil society is also stepping up to the challenge. Adrian Vycital, the Bratislava-based founder of the Slovak Global Network, stumbled across a network of talented Slovaks abroad during his international dealings and got to work mapping them.   

His organization aims to connect expatriates and encourage knowledge transfer into sectors including education and healthcare. Its annual summit was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in November and was attended by politicians and key civil servants.  

Bringing Slovaks together to network with one another and nurture their connection to Slovakia is an indispensable part of the bridge-building process.

However, bridge building and bonding are not enough to achieve VIAI’s goal of 40,000 returnees. So how could this be done?   

Talent needs to be incentivized. Tax breaks for newly formed businesses and low-interest mortgages on first-time property purchases could be points of attraction.

Taking inspiration from the Hungarian model, Slovakia could also offer income-tax exemptions for families with four or more children to try to tackle the demographic timebomb of an aging population (from 2021, more people died than were born.) Subsidized childcare, a very important issue for working parents, could also be considered.   

There need to be real-world solutions and incentives for professionals. While it is important for the diaspora to see Slovakia is interested in them conceptually, through summits and community building among emigrants, when it comes to taking the leap back home there must be practical gains for those who return.   

If Slovaks abroad are able to gain tangible benefits by relocating to Slovakia they are more likely to bring their knowledge, skillsets, networks, and capital back to a country that could massively benefit from their contribution.   

And their money is not everything. The real advantage would be that a new generation of young people, with international experience, would re-establish their roots at home.  

Zuzana Palovic is the founder and co-director of Global Slovakia, a not-for-profit dedicated to sharing Slovak heritage, history, and culture to build bridges with the Slovak diaspora. She has a PhD in migration from the University of Surrey, UK, and has published five books about her homeland and its diaspora.

Europe’s Edge is CEPA’s online journal covering critical topics on the foreign policy docket across Europe and North America. All opinions are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the position or views of the institutions they represent or the Center for European Policy Analysis.

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