Strategic Studies Quarterly

Abstract In the past, there was a one-sided view based on the deterrence strategy towards the migration of specialists, but today, the return of specialists to their homeland in the form of various channels, including entrepreneurial return, is on the agenda of governments. This research was conducted with the aim of identifying the factors influencing the entrepreneurial return of Iranian Elites abroad, using a survey method. The statistical population of the research consists of 217 elites and graduates who have returned to the country and started their own businesses through a cooperation plan with non-resident Iranian specialists and scientists. The results of the questionnaire indicate that nine factors have an effect on the entrepreneurial return of Iranian professionals and graduates, which in order of importance are: access to personal and family networks, a sense of duty towards the mother country, lower costs of starting a business, entrepreneurial opportunities, the state of the entrepreneurship ecosystem, access to scientific and governmental networks, the general state of the country, the government's incentive programs and policies, and the challenges of immigrants in the host country.