A shortage of information technology graduates from western universities is leading companies to call on developing countries to meet research demands, according to Microsoft chairman Bill Gates

. After the break-up of the Soviet Union, Russia's internationally renowned education system became a cheap talent pool for the West. Now dozens of Russian-language websites offer computer programming jobs in the US, alongside visa support and language training.

"Worldwide, a lot of the developed countries are not graduating as many IT students as they were in the past, which is kind of ironic as it does mean it does increase the opportunities," Mr Gates said.

Russia loses about 700,000 people a year to emigration, disease and alcoholism.

Many western firms have also outsourced data management, software development and other high-tech operations to lower cost operators in Asia, where education standards are high in some countries but wages are comparatively low. "There is a shortage of IT skills on a worldwide basis," Mr Gates said. "Anybody who can get those skills here now will have a lot of opportunity."

Mr Gates spoke for about 30 minutes at the 2006 Microsoft Business Forum in Moscow. He emphasised the need to retain the pace of research in the IT sector.

He predicted that "roll-up and stuff-in-your-pocket" screens would be available in the next few years and that students would study from portable computer tablets which act as interactive tutors. - (Reuters)