More and more scientists leave research institutes for enterprises, where they can find better jobs. How will the scientific research institutes operate without scientists?

The story about Dr. LPH has been well known to many biologists. Finishing the Hanoi Agriculture University, he became a researcher at the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, who got the monthly salary of VND180,000 and tens of thousands of dong in allowances.

Meanwhile, LPH’s friends, who graduated school at the same time, earned more than VND1 million a month.

Later, LPH obtained the master degree in Belgium and the doctorate in biology in Vietnam. In 2007, LPH obtained another doctorate in Germany.

However, the two doctorates could not help LPH earn more money. At that time, he received more than VND2 million a month in fixed salary and VND100,000 in expenses for business trips per day.

In late 2007, LPH decided to leave the academy after many years of devoting himself to it. He worked for a foreign invested company, where he received the monthly income equal to the annual income that the academy paid him before.

LPH said he did not dare to get married until he left the science academy, because of the low income which could not support the family.

“If I had stayed there (the science academy), I would not have got enough money to feed myself and my child,” H said. “My child’s study alone costs VND1.8 million a month.”

Professor Dr. Le Tran Binh, former Head of the Biotechnology Institute, an arm of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, has confirmed that the number of young scientists leaving the institute has been on the rise over the last five years.

According to Binh, prior to 2008, one or two young scientists went studying abroad and did not return. Meanwhile, since 2008, about 10 scientists have left the institute.

According to Dr. Le Xuan Canh, Head of the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, also said researchers nowadays tend to leave to seek better jobs with higher incomes. A female scientist was recruited in 2013, but she has left just after several months of working.

Associate Professor Dr. Truong Xuan Lam from the same institute said that with the academic titles, he receives VND5.2 million a month.

In Vietnam, who earns VND10 million a month and more are considered high income earners.

A colleague of his in the same institute, who got master degree in France, received VND3.3 million a month. Meanwhile, the workers with university degree receive VND2.4 million. With the modest incomes, they have to live in rent rooms.

Unlike other state employers or state owned enterprises’ workers, scientists only receive fixed monthly salaries and get the promotion once in every three years, while they have no allowances.

There are 116 scientists at the institute, 1/3 of whom are young workers with the modest income of VND2-3 million a month, which is not enough to cover their basic needs.

Binh thinks that more scientists would leave the institute and the brain-drain would be even more serious, because research institutes are believed to be the employers which pay the lowest salaries to workers.