The 420 print and web readers who responded to our survey about national origins were born in 67 different countries and currently reside in 45 countries. A remarkable 36% of respondents presently work in a place other than their native homeland, and 59% have lived in more than one country for three or more months. "I was born in England, live in Belgium, work in Germany!" says one reader.
The countries with the largest percentages of non-native scientists moving in are the United States, Canada, and Australia. The places with the largest percentages of native scientists moving out are China, India, and Italy.
All this international movement leads to highly diverse working environments. Worldwide, the average department size is 21, of whom six are non-native.
Some scientists regret not learning a new language or using a different currency. Says one stay-in-homeland researcher: "It makes me look boring having [remained] in ...
