rowing up in Bermuda makes one ?a citizen of the world?, according to New Brunswick Chamber of Commerce president Thomas Nisbett.

The opportunities that young Bermudians have to interact with players in major international business and the culture to which one is exposed growing up on the Island can lead to a worldliness that is invaluable in the realm of international business, Mr. Nisbett told in an exclusive interview on Wednesday.

However, the same environment that can teach young Bermudians so much and produces ?citizens of the world? may not be captivating enough for them to choose to return after schooling and contribute to the local business community. ?An issue that Bermuda is just beginning to face now is keeping the brightest and the best (on the Island),? said Mr. Nisbett, who himself has lived abroad since his early twenties. ?And that is an issue that has much more long-term effects than just tomorrow or next month.?

Mr. Nisbett himself was raised on the Island by his parents Rev. Canon Thomas and Winifred Nisbett of Devonshire and graduated from Saltus Grammar School?s Graduate Year before attending St. Mary?s University in Halifax. About the foundation he built over his childhood on the Island, he said: ?I found that the basic education I got in Bermuda really set me apart and prepared me for university. Living and learning in Bermuda makes you more of a citizen of the world.?

Mr. Nisbett noted that one cannot live in Bermuda without being affected by international business and affairs. A Bermudian may be the recipient of a scholarship offered by an international company, the construction worker who built that company?s building, a teacher whose classroom is comprised of Bermudians as well as British, Canadian and American expatriate children or a business person who interacts on an international level daily. The fact that Bermuda is a small, isolated island, and therefore dependent on imports and exports, means that international business affects every resident of Bermuda in one way or another.

If the fact that the ?best and brightest? of young Bermudians are well-prepared to be successful abroad is combined with a sense that there is limited access in Bermuda, the young workforce will move abroad.

Mr. Nisbett commented: ?When people feel they don?t have access to develop their ideas, they get angry.? The effect of this is that, without the local workforce and resources that key professionals require, more and more professionals look outside of Bermuda to get things done and are moving business to the Caribbean, US and Canada Mr. Nisbett has noticed.

If the workforce does not exist locally, he said, it must be supplemented by foreign workers. ?Immigration is incredibly important for communities. New people bring new ideas, perspectives and information.?

He added, however, that the legal infrastructure to regulate immigration must be in place to protect the local community. If not, young Bermudians will be more prone to leaving the Island in search of better opportunities.

Mr. Nisbett felt that similarities exist between ?the challenges and opportunities that New Brunswick is facing and the challenges and opportunities Bermuda faces?. Mr. Nisbett said: ?Wherever I?ve been, it appears we (in Bermuda) struggle with the same issues. Everyone is trying to live, work and raise a family in a safe environment.?

Specific similarities, however, include the challenges of attracting tourism, ensuring access to capital and providing support for small business. He said New Brunswick?s hub of environmental companies was similar to Bermuda?s attractiveness to insurance and reinsurance companies. However, the problem with large corporations is that ?the larger companies can come and go. They hire big, and they fire big?.

The problem of having access to capital does not only imply access to money, as many people might presume according to Mr. Nisbett. Rather, capital includes elements of infrastructure such as roads and fibre optics, in addition to the laws and taxes that establish the environment in which business operates. He said all these things combined create the infrastructure of society that supports business, and society must ensure that the structure supports both small and large business. If Bermudians feel that either the infrastructure does not support their pursuit and they do not have the access to be able to change that infrastructure, they will look to engage in business elsewhere, where supportive infrastructure and capital does exist. Mr. Nisbett expanded: ?New Brunswick and Bermuda are both looking at how they can be bigger and better as the business world develops and expands. Local and international business (in Bermuda) is starting to mesh more, and I think we?ll see the effects of that over the next few years.?

Mr. Nisbett felt a recent development in local legislation proved that Bermuda is moving in a positive direction. He sat in on the Senate?s hearings of the section of the Criminal Code Amendment that addresses insider trading and market manipulation. The legislation would allow Bermudian authorities to police the stock market, ensuring the legitimacy of Bermuda?s business and financial industries. Mr. Nisbett said, although the legislation itself is commendable for its comprehensiveness as many jurisdictions do not have as extensive of a bill, ?the most important element of this bill is that it was a collaborative effort between Government, the Opposition, the Chamber of Commerce, banks, insurance companies, and the Bermuda Stock Exchange. People need to understand how difficult it is to get all of those players together and to agree on legislation. That is leadership.?

Mr. Nisbett added: ?I think if such cooperative efforts continue, they will set Bermuda apart. Premier Scott is a good man with a hell of a job.?

Mr. Nisbett felt that five basic elements of a successful business community that the New Brunswick Chamber of Commerce has identified apply to Bermuda. These include the development of talent, technology and innovation, access to capital, know-how and training and leadership. The most significant of these is establishing how to develop and teach people to be competitive at home and abroad. Mr. Nisbett said: ?Basic talents such as solid writing, computer skills and financial knowledge must be ensured in order to be successful in the larger world.? The development of technology and innovation are key to a community?s success as the world develops further to show it is abreast of new technology. Mr. Nisbett said: ?You want to (use technology to) make the world?s path lead to door.?

The effect of the Internet among other technologies is that ?the world is smaller, and we?re all being forced to look at it differently?. As a result, even the Bermudians who choose to stay on the Island must be just as aware of international affairs as those who move abroad, and the Island must ensure that it supports Bermuda?s local and international business industry, both big and small.