The Israeli state has come up with a plan to diminish the 'brain drain', writes Meirav Arlosoroff for Haartez. It has proposed establishing a new fund to provide the jobs needed to keep the country's best and brightest academics from moving overseas, or to bring them back home. The fund, to be managed by the Council for Higher Education, will invest in centres of research excellence that provide positions for repatriated scientists and engineers.
The Higher Education Council presented the plan to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week, in coordination with the Finance Ministry and the National Economic Council. He is expected to approve the plan. The Stars Plan calls for the establishment of 30 research centres at a cost of NIS 45 million (US$12 million) each, bringing the total cost to NIS 1.3 billion.

Most of the money will come directly from the state, with universities supplementing the funds. Universities, individually or in groups, will bid to establish the centres. The money will go to paying scientists' salaries. Since the centers will be independent of the regular university framework, the normal regulations on university salary limitations will not apply.

Full report on the Haaretz.com site

Photo from Tel Aviv University website