Down the years, among the cries in discussions about the nation’s labour force is the level of brain drain experienced annually.

And while the numbers are regrettable, there is often some consolation in the fact that those who take their training to other lands often fare better wherever they are planted and send help home. The assistance usually improves the economic circumstances of the family and clears paths for up-and-coming generations.

A Jamaican Information Service (JIS) news report this week highlights a call from noted Jamaican scientist Professor Errol Morrison for an intentional approach to move from brain drain to brain gain.

Now, at first thought the slogan-esque pronouncement may be dismissed as a sound bite, but deeper acknowledgement turns on light bulbs.

Professor Morrison, himself a successful academic and researcher who has stayed rooted on The Rock, encourages a focus on research and development in Jamaica.

The former president of the University of Technology, Jamaica was addressing attendees at the recent Research Day Expo at the Portland-based College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE). He argued that Jamaica must urgently expand its pool of graduate-level researchers if it is to achieve meaningful success in research and development (R&D).

Known as being adopters rather than innovators, Dr Morrison requests Jamaicans undertake a strategic shift in how we manage our tertiary level pedagogy. This, he signals, would be the catalyst for boosting Jamaica’s productivity.

Said he: “Jamaica, with roughly three million [people]… we will need… 6,000 individuals involved in R&D… [for any real] likelihood of success.”

This was against the background of citing data from the World Bank that any country serious about R&D must have at least 2,000 individuals per million of its population actively engaged in the field.

The days of “doctor, lawyer, Indian chief” being the sole focus must be expanded to include biotechnology, tech development, and energy-source maximisation.

This call is not new, but as we kick the can down the road, yet again, with the deadline for the establishment of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) schools, Professor Morrison’s vision ought to be given added attention.

The JIS report indicated him saying: “A detailed study of the Jamaican scenario shows we have no more than about 750 graduate-level individuals involved in research and development. So, we are not really on track to achieve major developments.”

If ever there were a time to change the nation’s trajectory, it is now.

Professor Morrison pointed to a significant opportunity, noting that some 60,000 individuals in the Diaspora have been identified who possess the requisite training and qualifications to enter the R&D sector. Efforts to stem the flow must be countered with the development of capacity and programmes that encourage the minds of our youngsters into the probing nature of R&D.

This must be undergirded with the development of scholarships and endowment funds to fuel and fund the thrust. Mere talk and nods of agreement will not move the needle.

The Government has signalled its intention to advance the research agenda through the appointment of a scientist and researcher, Dr Andrew Wheatley, as minister with responsibility for science, technology and special projects. But we await his deliverables of brain gain.