In his last book, John P. A. Ioannidis, professor in Disease Prevention, Pathology, Health Research and Policy and Statistics at Stanford University, praises the young Greek scientists and discusses the problems they are dealing with.
According to his book, about 3% of leading scientists worldwide are Greek, although the population of Greece only represents 0.15% or 0.20% of the world population. However, although Greece produces a large number of scientists every year, an estimated 85% of them are working abroad.
Figures presented in the book show that 336 Greeks are placed among the leading scientists in the world. Most of them have left Greece. Even the few who remain in Greece have carried out an important part of their research and work abroad. It is estimated that about 95% of the published work of these 336 scientists was done abroad.
“The best Greek scientists have been massively exiled from Greece. A diminishing minority still lives in Greece, often in conditions of tough internal exile,” says Ioannidis.
The main reasons why young Greeks abandon Greece are the lack of financial resources, infrastructure and support of scientific research.
Moreover, Ioannidis believes that what makes young scientists choose to live abroad is the lack of collective vision in Greek society and the mediocrity that dominates the academic, political and social life.
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