One of the many interesting aspects of working in the growing Chinese economy is hearing the stories of the “haigui,” the “returning sea turtles.” Not real sea turtles, mind you. “Haigui” is slang for a Chinese student educated overseas who returns to the homeland to live and work rather than staying abroad. Given the growing economy here, it’s not surprising that becoming a haigui is an increasingly popular option.

When China opened up, few Chinese had the opportunity to study abroad. Most of those who did manage to get abroad tended to stay there for the obvious reasons: better living conditions, better career opportunities. Those who did return after a few years often had difficulty readjusting, not unlike corporate repats. Indeed, the readjustment was often difficult as the foreign-educated Chinese often had higher career aspirations and salary requirements which caused resentment among their locally-educated compatriots. For some, it’s still tough and resentment still exists.

But as you may imagine, with a strong Chinese economy and much of the rest of the world in a slump, the situation has reversed itself and more turtles are returning to home shores. According to the Chinese government, something like 1.4 million Chinese students have studied abroad in the last three decades and 400,000 of those have returned home. Last year alone, 180,000 studied abroad and nearly 70,000 returned home. And the returning tide is expected to grow with the government now offering incentives for returnees with desired skill sets. 

The other side of this mobility coin is the brain drain, the implications for the areas where Chinese students and business people are leaving. Recently highlighted in two prominent US magazines, both government incentives and general opportunity are having positive effects in causing scientists and other academics to return. While those might seem like limited areas, losing capable people from those kinds of jobs – which often spur innovation and research – in turn will affect future economic growth and expansion.

A number of my Chinese friends have lived, worked, or studied abroad and chosen to return home, often for the obvious reasons of family and career. The decision to return home can be difficult; of course, deciding to stay in a new location, culture, or work environment is pretty tough, too.

Any haigui out there willing to share your story or thoughts?