Quick Start — Brain Drain vs. Brain Gain

Data Quality Gate

action data_quality_gateon fail: abort

config (4 keys)

{
  "constructs": [
    "high_skilled_emigration_rate",
    "human_capital_stock_origin",
    "skill_acquisition_response",
    "remittances_inflow"
  ],
  "max_missing_pct": 0.3,
  "min_observations": 50,
  "required_panel_dim": "country-year"
}

Descriptive — Emigration Rates by Skill

engine descriptive_summary

config (2 keys)

{
  "group_by": [
    "origin_country",
    "skill_category"
  ],
  "variables": [
    "high_skilled_emigration_rate"
  ]
}

expected results (1 key)

{
  "high_skilled_emigration_rate": {
    "range_check": [
      0,
      1
    ]
  }
}

Correlations — Key Channels

engine correlation_matrix

config (1 key)

{
  "variables": [
    "high_skilled_emigration_rate",
    "human_capital_stock_origin",
    "skill_acquisition_response",
    "remittances_inflow",
    "return_migration",
    "diaspora_network_size",
    "patent_output_origin"
  ]
}

expected results (2 keys)

{
  "remittances_inflow↔human_capital_stock_origin": {
    "direction": "positive"
  },
  "skill_acquisition_response↔human_capital_stock_origin": {
    "direction": "positive"
  }
}

Net Human Capital — DID Around Visa Shock

engine difference_in_differences←predictor_correlationscompare_to_kb

config (5 keys)

{
  "controls": [
    "gdp_per_capita",
    "population",
    "training_supply_elasticity"
  ],
  "outcome": "human_capital_stock_origin",
  "time_var": "year",
  "treatment": "migration_visa_policy_shock",
  "unit_var": "origin_country"
}

expected results (1 key)

{
  "migration_visa_policy_shock": {
    "direction": "positive",
    "rationale": "Replicates Filipino nurses (9:1) and Indian IT (5.8% rise) findings"
  }
}

Remittance → Welfare (Shift-Share IV)

engine shift_share_iv←predictor_correlations

config (5 keys)

{
  "controls": [
    "province_fixed_effects",
    "year_fixed_effects"
  ],
  "endogenous": "remittances_inflow",
  "outcome": "household_income_origin",
  "shares": "historical_destination_country_shares",
  "shifts": "destination_exchange_rate_shocks"
}

expected results (1 key)

{
  "remittances_inflow": {
    "direction": "positive"
  }
}

Population Health — Null Test

engine instrumental_variables

config (4 keys)

{
  "controls": [
    "gdp_per_capita",
    "public_health_spending"
  ],
  "endogenous": "high_skilled_emigration_rate",
  "instruments": [
    "destination_visa_policy"
  ],
  "outcome": "infant_mortality_origin"
}

expected results (1 key)

{
  "high_skilled_emigration_rate": {
    "direction": null,
    "rationale": "53-African-country IV evidence finds no effect on health"
  }
}

Synthesis Report

engine synthesis_report←net_human_capital_did, remittance_welfare_iv, health_robustness

config (1 key)

{
  "sections": [
    "net_human_capital",
    "remittance_channel",
    "health_channel",
    "heterogeneity_by_skill_type"
  ]
}