Philosophising, or where did all the science go?

My recent experience with hiring first a driver, then an IT Manager for the company I work for was a chance to make some rather sad observations. Most of the people who applied to those jobs were way overqualified. Engineers, geologists, people with law school diplomas sent their resumes for the driver position. For the IT Specialist, along with the recent graduates from the Polytechnical University, we had a PHD in physics, several other physicists, university professors, mathematicians and even... a trombone player apply for the position.

What, then, is happening in the country that makes people to lower their standards and expectations so? Well, the thing is, during Soviet times there was something of an exchange going on between different countries that were part of the USSR. To the common pile, Ukraine was contributing bread, Azerbaijan - oil, Kazakhstan - cotton and Russia - most of everything else ( I wasn't very attentive during the economical geography classes, so that's all I remember). Armenia, having few natural resources, had chosen to contribute in scientists and highly educated specialists. I do believe that at some point in 70s Armenia had the highest percentage of people with higher education among the Soviet republics. There were several very important strategic research centers and plants here in Armenia like the Physics Institute and Mathematical Machines Institute. Accordingly, the colleges in Armenia prepared a steady stream of young specialists to supply those organizations.

Then the Soviet Union collapsed, an earthquake destroyed several important industrial centers, the war started, with the blockade closing the borders. Armenia was left separated from the other former Soviet countries to survive pretty much on its own, with plants and factories closed, with nobody interested in research and nobody paying for it. The best scientists and specialists left looking for jobs elsewhere, and those who remained had to do anything they could just to survive and feed their families.

All this happened in the end of the 80s - beginning of the 90s. Now, almost 20 years later, there is a budding new stream of scientists working on various projects, requested and financed from abroad. But there are still very few of them, and not much work to do. The older generation, those who do not speak a foreign language and are not computer literate, have no chance of going back to their old professions, no matter how good they were. The higher education is still popular, but now it is more a question of a personal status, than a way to a future career. Which is why we now have a driver that has a lawyer's diploma and might end up having an IT manager who will be a PHD is nuclear physics.

Perhaps in the greater scope of events 20 years is not a long time. Perhaps there will be a time again when the science, the education and the research will be in high esteem in Armenia. For now, our best scientists are still abroad, in Europe, in USA and Australia, wherever there is enough money to pay for science. And the rest, if they weren't lucky or persistent enough to land a contract from a foreign company, are driving cars and fixing computers.

Sad, isn't it?