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Piloting diaspora mobilisation schemes in the education & research sectors in Moldova

Experiencing high levels of emigration and “brain drain”, Moldova has made it a strategic priority to utilise the human potential of its diaspora in decision-making and developmental processes. Despite limited capacities and funding for extensive research and skills auditing, the government strives to further develop communication channels with the diaspora and to learn more about its potential for development. The Bureau for Relations with Diaspora (BRD) which is the government directorate in charge of diaspora policies, requested assistance from EUDiF and diaspora expertise to establish a thematic network of diaspora members working in education and research.
This action prepared the ground for BRD to conceptualise, prepare, and pilot a small-scale diaspora skills transfer scheme with a specific target group, the “academic diaspora”, a system that could later on be replicated in other sectors.

Objective
To enhance the capacities of the Moldovan Bureau for Relations with Diaspora to run a diaspora knowledge transfer scheme by piloting a methodology for the education and research sectors.
Duration
12 months
SDGs
Key documents

Programme of activities

The programme is structured around three phases, starting with an assessment of sectoral needs and academic diaspora profiling that lead to development of guidelines for creation of co-working hubs and piloting diaspora skills transfers in the education and research sectors.

Preparatory phase: Baseline assessment
Aug - Sep 22: Assessment of sectoral needs for expertise

EUDiF organised a fact-finding mission to Chisinau and deployed two diaspora experts to consult the stakeholders. The experts prepared the necessary tools for the assessment and looked into the need for institutional capacity building, but also into the capacity to absorb the knowledge transfer from diaspora.

Sep - Nov 22: Interviews with diaspora professionals

The activity helped to identify relevant profiles in the Moldovan academic diaspora who can engage in knowledge transfers. This was done by collecting data (an online profiling survey) and conducting follow up interviews with selected diaspora members to assess their willingness and mobilisation capacity.

Dec 22: Desk analysis of best practices in diaspora skills transfer

The EUDiF and diaspora experts examined different types of diaspora skills transfer schemes at global and regional levels, consolidating the findings from the assessment exercises and accumulating new perspectives and information from other actors.

Drafting phase: Roadmap development and validation
Jan - Feb 22: Scoping the roadmap

The roadmap offers the background information, specific needs, resources, incentives, challenges, and contextualisation of a set of practical procedures and steps to put in place a co-working model in the education and research sectors.

Mar 23: Focus groups with diaspora

Selected diaspora members were invited to three focus groups (10-12 participants each) in order to discuss the main results of the desk analysis, the capacity gap assessment and roadmap recommendations.

Apr 23: Focus groups with national stakeholders

The Moldovan Bureau for Diaspora and EUDiF conducted focus group with representatives of all targeted institutions in the diaspora field. The event was aimed to exchange on the assessment findings and roadmap with a view to agreeing on the practical elements of a pilot scheme in diaspora skills transfer.

May 23: Validation workshop of the roadmap

EUDiF co-organised an online workshop with BRD to validate the roadmap and prepare the piloting phase.

Piloting phase: Diaspora skills transfers in education and research sectors
May - Jun 23: Creation of the diaspora co-working hub

The Moldovan Bureau for Diaspora created and prepared the pilot co-working hub with the Moldovan academic diaspora with guidance from diaspora experts and roadmap recommendations.

Jun - Aug 23: Piloting diaspora skills transfer in higher education

EUDiF offered support to the Bureau in the the process of identifying concrete opportunities for diaspora transfer schemes with the created Diaspora co-working hub (DCH).

Aug 23: Lessons learnt on pilot experience

Jointly with BRD, the diaspora professionals gathered feedback and captured lessons learnt during the conceptualisation and piloting phases to highlight success factors and challenges for future replication.

“I strongly believe that if you want change and a better well-being of your country, then you might as well be part of that change!
Many diaspora members are knowledge migrants and for a country whose economy is struggling and one third of the population is abroad, its biggest resource become its people.”
5a_Dorina Baltag MD diaspora
Dorina Baltag, diaspora professional
Visiting researcher at the Institute for Diplomacy & International Governance (Loughborough University-London).

Updates

News • Eastern Europe
DP4D Action: Piloting diaspora knowledge transfer schemes in education and research sectors in Moldova
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