Luca Karig, the Junior Organisational Development Consultant of Milestone Solutions Lab, was recently invited by the CaféPR Communications Agency to take part in a roundtable discussion centered on brain drain within Hungary. Luca recently joined Milestone after completing her degree at the London School of Economics. During the event, she elaborated on her own experiences – sharing her views on brain drain, national and international job opportunities, and the responsibility of Hungarian companies.

After receiving her masters degree in Organisational and Social Psychology from one of the world’s most prestigious universities, Luca decided to move back to Hungary to apply her newly gained knowledge and skills at the Milestone Institute. As an Organisational Development Consultant at Milestone Solutions Lab, she aims to help local companies, educational institutions, and non-profit organisations tackle problems they face, in which the Institute’s far-reaching international scientific and professional network is of great assistance.

The roundtable consisted of a dean of one of Hungary’s top universities, a partner of a Hungarian skill-development program, an HR business partner of a multinational company, and a media expert and film producer, whose primary focus is on emigration. Together they discussed the causes and driving forces of Hungarian emigration and the roles and responsibilities of Hungarian employers in retaining their high-skilled employees.

Luca contributed to the almost 3-hour-long discussion not only through her own personal experiences, but also by elaborating on her professional involvement in Milestone Solutions Lab. She talked about why she moved abroad to study in 2015 and what convinced her to apply to the Milestone Institute 2 years later, at home.

She referred to the motto: “Borders are there to be crossed” several times during the talk, which represents one of the core values of Milestone Institute. She identifies with this idea greatly, both in the sense of crossing international borders, as well as borders between academic disciplines or professions.

Other participants agreed on the notion as well, that today’s young generation believes in more open and flexible structures – based on their historical situation, and economic, societal and technological circumstances – than their predecessors. Luca highlighted that one of the core values of the Anglo-Saxon educational system, and the labour market that builds upon that, is this openness, which supports and realizes international and interdisciplinary initiatives. A good personal example of this is that Luca holds a Hungarian bachelor degree in Finance, and was given the opportunity to study MSc Organisational and Social Psychology in the United Kingdom.

Guest speakers came to the conclusion that transferable skills and knowledge are crucial in today’s world of labour. They are key in coping with the ever-changing working environment, the challenges it entails, and are therefore beneficial for companies, just as well as their bright individuals. Accordingly, employers need to adjust, be flexible and open-minded regarding recruitment and other processes as well.

Regarding local companies’ and employees’ responsibility, Luca emphasized the importance of international experience and how it contributed to her independent thinking. As she mentioned, in the Anglo-Saxon educational system, the main focus is on critical thinking and on one’s own arguments. According to roundtable participants’ own personal stories, granting this kind of independent thinking and elevated responsibilities in one’s work environment, could help to retain the most valuable employees.

During the inspiring talk, some commonly identified issues emerged, along which, best practices can be observed. These issues, among others, could lead the way towards a more attractive and flourishing labour market in Hungary. There is a place for those open-minded, highly educated and motivated young people as well, who think critically and are eager to go the extra mile for creating value and positive change.