This article conceptualizes contemporary mass emigration of skilled youth from post-transitional societies such as Serbia in the context of globalization and transnationalism. Today, developed and knowledge-based economies are searching for young, highly educated professionals (IT professionals, scientists, researchers, medical staff, etc). Massive mobility has been motivated by better work prospects and life choices, especially in nations undergoing large social changes, i.e. in the process of their insertion into the world’s capitalist system. However, new theoretical perspectives and corresponding policy responses might be helpful in addressing this phenomenon not only as a loss for sending countries but also as a potential gain. Skilled youth migration might be transformed into ‘brain gain’ and ‘brain circulation’ taking into account a wider migration–development nexus. This article discusses two possible options in the context of a network society: transnational entrepreneurship and diaspora. These might prove to be powerful incentives for modernizing local economies, alleviating poverty and reducing unemployment. Regrettably, policy makers in Serbia, as well others from the region, are neither fully aware, nor engaged in potential utilization of these resources.

本文对全球化和跨国主义背景下当代从塞尔维亚等社会转型期的技术青年的大规模移民概念进行了概念化。如今，发达的知识型经济体正在寻找受过良好教育的年轻专业人员（IT专业人员，科学家，研究人员，医务人员等）。更好的工作前景和更好的生活选择推动了大规模的流动，特别是在经历了巨大社会变革的国家，即在其融入世界资本主义体系的过程中。但是，新的理论观点和相应的政策对策不仅有助于解决这一现象，不仅对派遣国造成损失，而且对潜在收益也有帮助。考虑到更广泛的移民与发展之间的联系，有技能的青年移民可能会转变为“大脑增长”和“大脑循环”。本文讨论了网络社会背景下的两种可能的选择：跨国企业家精神和散居海外。这些可能被证明是推动地方经济现代化，减轻贫困和减少失业的有力诱因。令人遗憾的是，塞尔维亚的政策制定者以及该地区的其他政策制定者既没有完全意识到，也没有参与对这些资源的潜在利用。