FOR STORY : CLASS OF 2012 - BRAIN DRAIN : Santiago Oviedo poses for a picture at Tirso de Molina square in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, July 29, 2012. Santiago Oviedo, a tall 24-year old from Madrid, is on track to get his master’s in physics in October 2012, a crucial milestone in his dream of becoming a researcher probing the origins of the universe, but Spain won’t benefit from his big brain, because of education spending cuts and Spain’s downward economic spiral, Oviedo is planning to emigrate to Britain, France, the Netherlands or Germany to get his Ph.D. or work at a company that lets him do research. He’s afraid he may never work or raise a family in his country. According to economist at Madrid's IE Business School, Gayle Allard, the long-term toll of emigration could be sinking competitiveness as crisis-hit countries lose many of their best and brightest citizens a potential formula for a vicious circle of economic agony, although they could benefit if young emigres return, bringing back better work and language skills.(AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
