112 research outputs found
Il deflusso di capitale umano dal Mezzogiorno: dai fattori di push e di pull agli effetti perversi del "brain drain"
No full textSome studies that investigate the effects of migration flows –based on Solow‟s growth theory (1956) and considering the specific contribution of the human capital transfer of migrant workers (Mankiw e al. 1992; Dolado e al. 1994, Piras, 1996) –allow to evaluate the negative impact generated by the brain drain on economic growth in a specific area.
Preliminary to such an evaluation is the analysis of those push and pull factors which, within certain socio-institutional contexts, bring workers with higher skills to emigrate from certain areas, moving to others even within the national boundaries. The removal of at least some of these factors from the places of origin could actually allow to limit the pathological effects of human capital outflows.
This paper aims to investigate in this direction, trying to estimate the influence of the main variables that drive the young University graduates of Southern Italy to look for an occupation in other Italian regions. The analysis starts with a brief presentation of migration dynamics –especially of the highly-skilled labour force that has moved from the South to the center and North of Italy in the last twenty-five years. After having advanced some theoretical interpretations of the phenomena investigated, we will apply cointegration technique to assess the specific impact of certain determinants. It will follow a brief reference to those growth models which allow to consider the impact of human capital outflows from a specific area, in order to eventually estimate its negative effect on income in terms of loss of potential growth
Willingness-to-pay for science as a public good: a contingent valuation experiment
No full textEvery year a significant amount of money is invested by governments on large-scale research infrastructures such as particle accelerators, telescopes, robotic space probes, biological data banks, oceanographic vessels, etc. The majority of these projects is funded through general taxation, and hence taxpayers are implicitly called to contribute to scientific discovery. Against the actual tax burden, how much the general public is actually willing to pay for investment in science? This paper explores the attitudes of young science-outsiders (the taxpayers of tomorrow) by the design of a pilot experiment involving a sample of undergraduate students in economics at University of Milan. We were interested in building a replicable survey setting aimed at eliciting the willingness to pay (WTP) for the discovery potential of a basic science project. Our case study is the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the most powerful particle accelerator worldwide. The experiment takes the form of a Contingent Valuation Referendum-like in depth interview. Both parametric and non-parametric estimators were used to calculate the mean WTP. Our results suggest that the sample mean WTP for the LHC discoveries ranges from EUR 23 to 28 per person annually. This is a relatively high result, several times in excess of the actual average tax-burden for supporting the CERN budget by Italian taxpayers, but can be compared with several previous empirical findings about the WTP for the non-use value of specific cultural and environmental goods. Building on this pilot experiment, we discuss possible future research avenues in order to extend to representative samples of taxpayers the empirical analysis of WTP for scientific discovery
A contingent valuation experiment about future particle accelerators at CERN
No full textInvestment in basic science is mainly supported by government funding, but little is known about citizens’ willingness to pay for large-scale projects. A survey to a representative sample of French taxpayers, designed as a contingent valuation experiment about a future particle accelerator for CERN, reveals that citizens’ willingness to pay is correlated with education, income, age, and–crucially–previous awareness, attitudes and interest in science. A (slim) majority of the participants would accept paying more in taxes for CERN. The estimated willingness to pay is higher than the current implicit per capita tax burden of French citizens. The experimental setting is novel and replicable for empirically assessing social attitudes towards science for other research infrastructures and countries.</div
Perceptions of fundamental science: Evidence from a classroom experiment
No full textLarge-scale research infrastructures such as particle colliders, radio telescopes, the International Space Station, areoften funded through general taxation and taxpayers are called to contribute to scientific discovery. How muchare people actually willing to pay for investments in science? What does drive such a giving behaviour? This paperexplores the attitudes of young science-outsiders (the taxpayers of tomorrow) by a pilot experiment involving 230undergraduate students in economics at University of Milan. The experiment takes the form of a ContingentValuation Referendum-like interview aimed at eliciting the willingness-to-pay (WTP) for the discovery potentialof the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the most powerful particle accelerator worldwide. Our results point tothe attitudes of students about fundamental science measured through their WTP. Building on this pilot experi-ment, we put forward recommendations for future research
Should governments fund basic science? : evidence from a willingness-to-pay experiment in five universities
No full textTax-payers are usually the ultimate funders of large-scale research infrastructures (RIs), but the expected discoveries of such projects often do not have any known use-value. By interviewing 1,022 undergraduates, we study the drivers of preferences for paying for basic research, which are still little known. We focus on the LHC at CERN, where the Higgs boson was discovered. Income, awareness, and positive attitudes towards science drive a positive willingness-to-pay for science. Students in social sciences and the humanities are willing to contribute to scientific curricula at least as much as their peers. Findings offer support to government funding of basic research as a public good
Willingness to pay for basic research: a contingent valuation experiment on the large hadron collider
No full textAn increasing number of countries and institutions are investing in large-scale research infrastructures (RIs) and in basic research. Scientific discoveries, which are expected thanks to RIs, may have a non-use value, in analogy with environmental and cultural public goods. This paper provides, for the first time, an empirical estimation of the willingness to pay (WTP) for discoveries in basic research by the general public. We focus on the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the largest particle accelerator worldwide, where in 2012 the Higgs boson was discovered. Nobody knows the practical value of such discovery, beyond knowledge per se. The findings of our study are based on a dichotomous choice contingent valuation (CV) survey carried out in line with the NOAA guidelines. The survey involved 1,022 undergraduate students enrolled in more than 30 different degrees (including the humanities) at five universities located in four countries (Italy, France, Spain, UK). We ask two main research questions: Which are the determinants of the WTP for the LHC discoveries? What is the average contribution that the respondents would be willing to pay? Our results confirm that income, interest and attitudes towards basic research are positively associated with the WTP, while other potential explanatory variables play a limited role. The estimated mean of WTP for basic research in particle physics is EUR 7.7 per person una-tantum. Although this is a small amount compared to other CV studies for environmental and cultural goods, it points to positive social attitudes for basic science as a public good
Should governments fund basic science? Evidence from a willingness-to-pay experiment in five universities
No full textTax-payers are usually the ultimate funders of large-scale research infrastructures (RIs), but the expected discoveries of such projects often do not have any known use-value. By interviewing 1,022 undergraduates, we study the drivers of preferences for paying for basic research, which are still little known. We focus on the LHC at CERN, where the Higgs boson was discovered. Income, awareness, and positive attitudes towards science drive a positive willingness-to-pay for science. Students in social sciences and the humanities are willing to contribute to scientific curricula at least as much as their peers. Findings offer support to government funding of basic research as a public good
Human and social capital accumulation within research infrastructures: The case of CERN
No full textThe contribution to human and social capital accumulation is one of the most important socio-economic benefits of public investment in Research Infrastructures. Sure enough, these large scientific enterprises are exceptional incubators of human and social capital, especially for early-career researchers who have the opportunity to gain new skills and expand their network of contacts in highly prestigious and challenging workplaces. This paper explores the contribution of spending a period of study and/or work at the Large Hadron Collider of CERN to the expected future lifelong salary of early-career researchers. Previous studies are here extended by using three sources of data: primary data collected through a survey to CERN Alumni, a survey to team leaders who supervised early-career researchers at CERN, and secondary data salary information. Findings show that an experience-based learning process at CERN is instrumental in developing skills that are needed by the economy and reveal an expected salary premium between 5% and 11%. Such human capital effect seems more important than a pure networking and reputational effect
Analytical framework for ex-post evaluation of transport projects: Lessons learnt on retrospective CBA
No full textThis study deals with the ex-post evaluation of ten major transport projects which were co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the Cohesion Fund in the period 2000-2013 and located across nine EU Member States. The original contribution of this study is represented by the combination of the traditional ex-post Cost-Benefit approach with a qualitative analysis. Specifically, a retrospective Cost-Benefit analysis is used to quantify the benefits and costs of the projects, then interviews to relevant stakeholders were carried out. Ex-post CBA, when appropriately implemented and integrated with qualitative evidence, represents a powerful tool for supporting decision-making processes and for policy lessons
Experiential learning in high energy physics: a survey of students at the LHC
No full textMore than 36 000 students and post-docs will be involved until 2025 in research at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) mainly through international collaborations. To what extent they value the skills acquired? Do students expect that their learning experience will have an impact on their professional future? By drawing from earlier literature on experiential learning, we have designed a survey of current and former students at LHC. To quantitatively measure the students’ perceptions, we compare the salary expectations of current students with the assessment of those now employed in different jobs. Survey data are analysed by ordered logistic regression models, which allow multivariate statistical analyses with limited dependent variables. Results suggest that experiential learning at LHC positively correlates with both current and former students’ salary expectations. Those already employed clearly confirm the expectations of current students. At least two not mutually exclusive explanations underlie the results. First, the training at LHC is perceived to provide students valuable skills, which in turn affect the salary expectations, secondly, the LHC research experience per se may act as signal in the labour market. Respondents put a price tag on their learning experience, a ‘LHC salary premium’ ranging from 5% to 12% compared with what they would have expected for their career without such an experience at CERN
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