La de-industrializzazione, il sottofinanziamento delle Università e le migrazioni intellettuali: il caso italiano= De-industrialization, Universities underfinancing and intellectual migration: the Italian case

Abstract

De-industrialization, Universities underfinancing and intellectual migration: the Italian case. The aim of this paper is to analyze the link existing between the reduction of public expenditure on tertiary education and scientific research and the increase in migration on the part of young individuals with high human capital, from Southern to Northern Italy. It will be shown that the reduction of public spending on tertiary education and scientific research basically depends on the reduction of labour demand for highly skilled workers, and that this strategy proves to be counterproductive for the long-term growth of the Italian economy and for purpose of reducing interregional divergences. These arguments are dealt with in a Kaldorian theoretical perspective