Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD Student in Human Resource management, Department of Management, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran

2 Professor, Department of Management, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran

Abstract

Purpose: The present study aims to propose a conceptual framework for retaining academic human capital and counteracting the migration trend among talented postgraduate students in Iranian universities.
Methodology: Adopting a qualitative approach, this study employed the meta-synthesis method. The research community consisted of scholarly works published in the fields of elite migration, human capital retention, and higher education policy. Through a systematic search and rigorous screening, 70 valid sources (43 Persian and 27 English) were selected. Data analysis was conducted using open, axial, and selective coding, and the extracted categories were integrated into a conceptual framework.
Findings: Five core categories were identified: (1) Causal conditions – including effective educational and learning factors, motivational and psychological factors, and social as well as emotional support; (2) Contextual conditions – including supportive institutional policies and actions of universities, and scientific and research infrastructures; (3) Intervening conditions – including structural and economic factors at national and international levels, managerial and executive factors, and socio-political and cultural factors; (4) Strategies – such as designing supportive packages for return migration, facilitating the process of scientific reverse migration, creating special job opportunities for capable graduates, attracting and engaging elites in national and strategic projects, reforming the higher education and research system in line with global standards to meet elite needs, and enhancing the social status and dignity of scientific elites in macro policies; and (5) Consequences – including a decline in universities’ scientific and research capacity, damage to the national knowledge-based economy, loss of human capital and intellectual resources, weakening of the country’s international scientific position, and widening of the scientific gap with developed countries.
Conclusion: Retaining postgraduate elites is a complex and multidimensional challenge that requires coordinated policy-making at the levels of the Ministry of Science, universities, and other relevant institutions. The proposed framework provides a conceptual tool for designing effective interventions aimed at strengthening motivation, fostering social hope, and enhancing the sense of belonging of elites to the higher education system and national development.
Value: By systematically and critically synthesizing the findings of previous studies, this research offers a comprehensive model for retaining academic elites and addressing scientific migration in Iran. The proposed framework can serve as a foundation for evidence-based policymaking, strategic planning, and designing support systems for elites within universities.

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Main Subjects

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