Globalisation and the shift towards a knowledge economy have made researchers among the most sought-after resources. International research mobility has been encouraged at policy levels and has remarkably increased in the past decade. Meanwhile, concerns of policy makers about the possible loss of such human capital are also rapidly growing. This article reports major literature findings on the international mobility of researchers. It then examines China's loss of researchers and how the country attempts to reverse the brain drain. It argues that China needs to reform its academic culture to lure back its best minds from overseas and retain them.