Israel has begun to implement a £250 million plan to win its best and brightest scientists back from abroad and slow its "brain drain".
A decade after the state slashed funding for university research, new posts for young academics are few and far between. The result is that most are going abroad to find a "post doctoral" research position - and increasingly they are staying abroad.
This has caused alarm across the political spectrum. A year ago, in a well-received speech in the Knesset, President Shimon Peres declared: "We cannot accept the brain drain from this country, and we must and can ensure the return of brains to Israel."
Over the past few years, the government has offered various financial benefits and tax breaks to Israelis abroad in order to tempt them home, with some success. But this March, the government decided to focus particularly on its academics by establishing Centres of Research Excellence, four of which are due to open this coming January and up to 26 more within five years.
